2007-2008
Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph D. Alomar
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Age: 22 years old
Died: January 17, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Navy-Navy Provisional Detention Battalion
Incident: Died in a non-combat related incident at Camp Bucca in Iraq.
Related Links:
BK family looks for answers in death of sailor (WABC, Jan. 22, 2007)
BK family looks for answers in death of sailor
Monday, January 22, 2007 | 10:56 AM
22-year-old sailor killed in non-combat related incident
Eyewitness News
NEW YORK- WABC, Jan. 22, 2007) -- The family of a sailor from Brooklyn who died in Iraq is
looking for answers into how the death happened.
The Department of Defense says 22-year-old Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph D. Alomar died in
what they describe as a non-combat related incident on Thursday.
He was assigned to a military police unit at Camp Bucca, a US run detention center in southern
Iraq when he died. Officials say the death is under investigation. Alomar's death was not the result
of hostile action, but occurred in a hostile fire zone, the Defense Department said.
Alomar's mother, told the New York Post that the family learned the her son was found with a
bullet in his head.
While aboard the USS Ashland, Chris Creamer got a lesson in Joseph D. Alomar's kindness. "He
knew that my wife and I were broke and she couldn't send very many care packages to me so he
told his wife about it. About a month later I received two packages, one from her and one from
their church," Creamer wrote on a military bulletin board. "When I got them, I couldn't believe
that someone I had never met cared enough to send me something. I never thought that a bottle of
shampoo could bring me to tears." Alomar, 22, of New York City, died Jan. 17 at Camp Bucca in
a non-combat related incident.
He was assigned to the Navy Provisional Detention Battalion. "He always wanted to go into the
service, ever since he was little," said Sabrina Figueroa, his sister. Alomar joined the Navy as soon
as he turned 18. "He was so proud." Alomar and his wife, Jennifer, have a 4-year-old daughter,
Jaleeha. He had been in the Navy three years and was due to finish his service in April. "Some
people that didn't know Joe can say he died a hero. I think that if you really knew him, you could
say that he lived like one," Creamer wrote.
Private 1st Class Shawn P. Falter
Hometown: Cortland, New York
Age: 25 years old
Died: January 20, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-2nd Battalion-377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment-4th Brigade Combat
Team-25th Infantry Division-Fort Richardson-Alaska
Incident: Killed when his patrol was ambushed while conducting dismounted operations in
Karbala.
Related Links:
Army: Homer Soldier Killed in Iraq was Ambushed (NewsChannel 9 WSYR, N.Y., Jan. 26,
2007)
Pfc. Shawn Falter Laid to Rest (WSTM-TV, N.Y. - Jan. 31, 2007)
Upstate mourns loss of two soldiers in Iraq (Press & Sun-Bulletin, N.Y., Jan. 29, 2007)
Private First Class Shawn P. Falter, 25, of Cortland, N.Y.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 377th
Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort
Richardson, Alaska; died Jan. 20 in Karbala, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his patrol was
ambushed while conducting dismounted operations. Also killed were Lt. Jacob N. Fritz, Spc.
Johnathan B. Chism and Pvt. Johnathon M. Millican.
Family remembers soldier’s courage, patriotism
By William Kates
The Associated Press
CORTLAND, N.Y. — A 25-year-old Army private abducted and executed in an ambush two
weeks ago in Iraq was remembered Jan. 31 by his family as an American patriot who always put
others first. More than 500 friends and family gathered inside Grace Christian Fellowship Church
to pay final respects to Pfc. Shawn Falter of Homer, who was buried with full military honors.
Andrew Lucas said he came up with four words to describe his younger brother — honor,
character, courage and sacrifice.
“I don’t know if this war in Iraq is just or not. I can’t answer that. I just don’t know. But Shawn’s
actions were just,” said Lucas, a master sergeant and instructor at the Air Force Academy, and one
of Falter’s three older brothers in the military.
“My brother Shawn was and always will be a patriot. He stood up and said, ‘I will defend you. I
will protect you. I will keep you free.’ That’s honorable. It shows a man’s character. It takes
courage. And sometimes sacrifice,” Lucas said during the 75-minute service.
“Rest, Shawn, you’ve done your part. Your brothers will take it from here,” he said.
Falter and three other soldiers were taken hostage Jan. 20 by gunmen disguised in U.S. Army-style
clothes from a provincial police headquarters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala in Iraq. All four
were later found dead in a neighboring province, bound and executed with bullet wounds to the
head.
The family has declined comment on the circumstances of Falter’s death. Falter was one of 13
brothers and sisters. He was remembered as a quiet, hardworking student in high school who
played varsity football and basketball. His grandmother has been a crossing guard at the village’s
elementary school for 30 years, said Mayor Mike McDermott.
Falter worked locally in construction after graduating from Homer High School in 1999. In 2005,
he decided to enlist and follow in the footsteps of his older brothers. In addition to Lucas, brother
Jason Sackett is a staff sergeant in the Army stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., and brother John
Sackett is a first sergeant with the Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Both have seen combat duty.
Four of Falter’s brothers spoke Jan. 31, including the three in the military. Three of the brothers
read a prayer or a poem — including late rapper Tupac Shakur’s “In the Event of My Demise.”
Friend Matt Russell also offered his thoughts. “No matter what the situation was, with Shawn,
everyone else came first,” Russell said.
During his eulogy, Lucas recalled a funny story about an embarrassed 7- or 8-year-old Shawn
having to buy “Strawberry Shortcake” cards for a Valentine’s Day party and another episode where
they pinky-swore to silence about a fender bender in a neighbor’s driveway. “We have to take
those special memories, those funny stories, those special moments, hold them close. That’s the
good stuff, that’s the important stuff,” Lucas said.
Falter was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. The two medals were
presented to the family by Brig. Gen. Margrit Farmer, who read statements from Falter’s battery
commander and division commander describing him as “an outstanding soldier who exemplified
the finest ideals of American character.”
When Farmer asked for applause to salute Falter, the crowd stood spontaneously in ovation. State
Sen. James Seward also took part in the service, reading a Senate resolution hailing Falter as “our
hero from Homer.” The resolution noted that last year Falter gave up his own leave time to allow
a fellow soldier to return home to his wife and children. Falter’s body was returned home Jan. 28.
State and local police agencies escorted his casket from the airport in Ithaca to Cortland.
The soldier’s hometown proudly displayed its patriotism for the funeral, adorning its main street
with American flags and red, white and blue ribbons. The local school district canceled classes for
the day in tribute to Falter.
Nearly 100 village residents and supporters gathered to watch the funeral procession, many
holding small American flags. State police closed a half-mile stretch of the highway in front of
Glenwood Cemetery because of all the people standing in the road watching the burial. Two fire
trucks hoisted their ladders to form an archway for the funeral procession. A large American flag
was stretched from the ladders to hang over the street. A four-foot-wide plaque with a photograph
of Falter in his military uniform stood in front of the American Legion.
Private First Class Nathan P. Fairlie
Hometown: Candor, New York
Age: 21 years old
Died: January 26, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-6th Squadron-9th Cavalry Regiment-3rd Brigade Combat Team-1st Cavalry
Division-Fort Hood-Texas
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle during
combat operations in Baqubah.
Mike Swartz first crossed paths with Nathan P. Fairlie when Swartz was an elementary substitute
teacher. He said Fairlie was always an active person. "I remember when he was in school for 9/11
and we watched it in my office during physical education class," Swartz recalled. "Right then, he
wanted to take care of things. He was a little fired up about it." Fairlie, 21, of Candor, N.Y., was
killed Jan. 26 in Baqubah when his vehicle struck an explosive. He was a 2004 high school
graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood. While he was a student, Fairlie was a lineman on the
football team.
He also was an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing and hunting. He even had a few hunting trips
planned for when he returned. "Obviously, we're deeply saddened," said Ryan Dougherty, his
former principal. "He was just a wonderful young man, special kid and shining personality. He
will be missed deeply." During his last conversation home, Fairlie told the family "if anything
happened, he just wanted us to be proud of him." Said his father, Paul: "We're very proud of him."
He also is survived by his mother, Karen.
SPC Nathan P. Fairlie
of CandorSPC Nathan P. Fairlie, 21, of Candor, died Friday, January 26, 2007, while serving our
Country in Iraq. He is survived by his parents, Paul and Karen Fairlie, Candor; sister, Mindi
Rogers and her friend, Mark Camp; paternal grandmother, Helena Fairlie; maternal grandparents,
John and Mable Brenchley; several aunts, uncles, cousins and many dear friends.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. at the Allen Memorial
Baptist Church - Gymnasium, 8 Church St., Candor, N.Y. Burial will follow in the Maple Grove
Cemetery, Candor. The family will receive friends Monday evening from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Allen
Memorial Baptist Church - Gymnasium. Memorial contributions may be made in SPC Nathan P.
Fairlie's memory to Candor Athletic Booster Club, 1 Academy St., Candor, N.Y. 13743.
Arrangements are by the Estey, Munroe & Fahey Funeral Home.
Published in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin on 2/4/2007.
Sergeant James J. Regan
Hometown: Manhasset, New York
Age: 26 years old
Died: February 9, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-3rd Battalion-75th Ranger Regiment-Fort Benning-Gergia
Incident: Killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while on
combat patrol.
Related Links:
Manhasset Says Farewell to (Manhasset Press, Feb. 23, 2007)
Farewell to Army Sergeant James Regan (WABC7, Feb. 16, 2007)
Manhasset Says Farewell to One of Its Own
With His Irresistible Smile and Service to His Country, James J. Regan Made a Difference
By Pat Grace
Bundled against the biting cold they waited for the funeral procession to wind its way up
Plandome Road so each privately, and with their collective presence, could say farewell and honor
James J. Regan, 26, Army Ranger and local hero. Sgt. Regan, a member of the 75th Ranger
Regiment, the premier light-infantry unit of the United States Army, was struck by a roadside
bomb on Feb. 9 while conducting combat operations in Iraq. "I've attended Memorial Day Parades
in town and now we're here for the actual opportunity to pay our last respects to a contemporary
soldier. We're gathered here to honor him," said Walter J. Heske.
Two fire trucks from the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department draped an American flag between
their raised ladders across Plandome Road for the procession to pass beneath. Co-president of the
Manhasset Chamber of Commerce, Bernard Ralston, passed out American flags to the crowd on
the ground, all against a backdrop of American flags placed in windows by shopkeepers. High
school students waited quietly, flags in hand and Nicole Cogar, student, commented, "I've never
seen anything like this before." Her friend, Kate Navratil, added, "I think it's really nice that the
town is coming together like this to support the Regan family." "Being there" was for so many
their way of supporting the family and the over 3,100 Americans who have made the ultimate
sacrifice in the Iraqi War.
The same was true on Thursday, Feb. 15, the day before, when the wake was held at St. Ignatius
Retreat House, 251 Searingtown Road, Manhasset. In an outpouring of support for the family and
a desire to honor such an outstanding young man, an unprecedented number of people attended the
wake.
Waiting on Plandome Road, Lauren Boylon expressed a similar sentiment, "The outpouring of
support has been unbelievable and warranted and we are so appreciative for everything he
sacrificed. Our hearts and prayers are with the family." Bob Devlin, who has lived in Manhasset
since 1963, offered, "I've never seen anything like this. The only thing that even came close was
9/11. The young man was outstanding. He's a credit to this country." His wife, Kristine Devlin
added, "This is what America should be all about. A little town like this shows, really, what
America is. We look back at 9/11 and how America came together, then we watched it slip away.
Our town is coming together again to show our respect."
The procession was first to pass by the Regan home and Munsey Park Elementary School where
Regan had been a student and the students lined the street there as well. Dr. Jean Kendall,
principal, Munsey Park School, said, "The entire Munsey Park School family is deeply saddened
by the loss of such a fine young man, Sgt. James Regan. Many of our staff members were working
at Munsey Park during the time Jimmy attended our school and they describe him as a wonderful
student and delightful person. As principal, I know his sister, Michaela, as a former student of
Munsey Park, his aunt, Lillian Regan who served as an SCA president for our school, and Ali
Regan, a former kindergarten teacher at our school, who is married to his cousin John. The entire
Munsey Park School family would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the family and
friends of Sgt. James Regan."
The cavalcade arrived on Plandome Road, passed under the giant flag and continued south on
Plandome Road to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church for the funeral Mass. Leslie Levar had
walked from the Manhasset Public Library where she works to pay her respects and noticed,
"There were so many people and you could hear a pin drop when the procession passed by. His
father was waving from the limo saying 'Thank you, Thank you' to all the people lining the
streets."
On Northern Boulevard, outside the church, shoulder to shoulder, stood bagpipers, Nassau County
Police, young soldiers in full uniform, friends, family, neighbors, the community and the media.
The casket draped in the flag was carried into the church by eight young men. It was standing
room only in the church. Everywhere stood somber, strapping young men in military uniform or
dark business suits.
Inside the first reading was from Isaiah 6: 3-8, a verse selected by James Regan before his last
deployment to Iraq. "After this I heard the Lord ask, Is there anyone I can send? Will someone go
for us? I'll go, I answered. Send me."
Rev. James C. Williams, S.M. celebrant, taught Regan at Chaminade, and spoke, as did so many,
of his winning personality and ever ready, irresistible smile.
Mary McHugh, Regan's finacée, said, "Jimmy was not a complicated person." She said he just
wanted to be happy and wanted to make everyone around him happy too. McHugh read love
letters from Jimmy and said she was happy to have loved and been loved by him. His friend and
lacrosse teammate from Duke, Dan Chemotti, said, "He wanted to do something with his life. He
wanted to make a difference. Well, look around."
Rob Hotarek, Regan's friend from grammar school said, "Family is what was important to him,"
and said he was so excited about his upcoming marriage to Mary. Hotarek said Regan searched for
something he had passion for, and working on Wall Street and country clubs were just not for him.
"Instead, as he always did, whether playing lacrosse or being a hero, he did not take the easy path.
He wanted the right path, the tough one." Hotarek said his best friend lived an incredible life. He
touched so many with his smile, spirit, love-"and he will live on in us."
Rich Crawford, Army Ranger, said Regan was a Fire Team Leader, and was a natural born leader
who strove to be the shepherd, not the sheep. Regan, he said, had a love for family and friends, and
a thirst for life. His military friend earned his parachute wings in 2006, Crawford said, and on Feb.
9, 2007 received a new set of wings, far more brilliant than the man-made ones.
"What a tribute," Mr. Regan said. "Such a tremendous amount of love shown to this young man,
my son." Mr. Regan quoted from Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and said the bells
rang for his son. He quoted Lincoln on loss and warriors. His wife Mary "had her heart ripped
out," Mr. Regan said, and his daughters "have been scarred by war." He recounted his son's four
tours of duty, two in Afghanistan and two in Iraq; that his son, "Jimbo" was a team leader, a
patriot, that he exemplified the soldier, but that his leadership had been snuffed out too soon. "You
have done your duty, son, as you saw it. Go, son, do what you were trained to do. Lead the way."
Burial was at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
Donations can be made to the Jim Regan Scholarship Fund, c/o Chaminade Development Office,
340 Jackson Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501 or to Special Operations Warrior Foundation, P.O. Box
13483, Tampa, FL 33681-3483, www.specialops.org. Donations may be made in the name of
Sergeant Jim Regan and mailed in or made online.
News
Farewell to Army Sergeant James Regan
Friday, February 16, 2007 | 6:29 PM
NYC, LI funerals for Marine, Army Ranger killed in Iraq
Eyewitness News
(New York - WABC, February 16, 2007) -- There were final farewells today for two local
servicemen killed in Iraq.
Marine corporal Thomas Saba of Toms River was laid to rest in Staten Island.
On Long Island, Army Sergeant James Regan was also laid to rest this afternoon at Saint Mary's
Church in Manhasset.
Regan was the third graduate of Chaminade High School killed in combat.
Eyewitness News reporter Carolina Tarazona has more.
A sea of supporters waved the American flag in silence as the remains of Sgt. James Regan were
brought to St. Mary's Church in Manhasset for a final mass.
Sgt. Regan was killed in Iraq last week by a roadside bomb. He was an Army Ranger and a much
loved Chaminade High School graduate.
"We read about so many others who were killed in action all around the country but when it hits
your home -- we want to let these families of these kids that we are not going to forget," one of
Manhasset residents, Kevin Murray, said. "We really do care.''
It was a big loss and a deep pain as his flag-draped coffin was taken inside the church this
afternoon. Mourners looked on as friends and family slowly walked inside preparing for the
soldier's final farewell.
Sgt. Regan also known as Jimmy, left behind a promising career as a financial planner to enlist in
the army back in 2004.
''He really could have been at Wall Street making substantial amount of money but he wanted to
serve his country," a Manhasset resident, Richard Weigele, said. "It's unbelievable how a young
man can do that.''
''They're patriots, the best of the best," other Manhasset resident, Mo Fletcher, said. "A ranger...,
tough kids.''
26-year-old, Regan will be laid to rest at a private burial ceremony at the Arlington National
Cemetery next week.
REGAN - Sgt. James J. of Manhasset, NY, was killed in Iraq on February 9, 2007. He was
assigned to Company C, Third Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning Ga. Chaminade
Graduate, he attended Duke University where he played Lacrosse and graduated in 2002. Sgt.
Regan is survived by his parents, James P. and Mary R. Regan of Manhasset, his sisters Maribeth,
Colleen and Michaela and his grandfather John Desmond. He is also survived by his Fiance Mary
R. McHugh of Atlanta, GA. Viewing at St. Ignatius Retreat House, Manhasset , on Thursday, 1-5
and 7-9PM. Funeral Mass Friday 2PM St. Mary's Church, Manhasset. Donations may be made in
Memoriam to Sgt. Regan at: The Jim Regan Scholarship, c/o Chaminade Development Office, 340
Jackson Ave., Mineola, NY 11501, or The Special Operations Warrior Foundation P.O. Box
13483, Tampa, FL. 33681.
Published in Newsday on 2/14/2007.
Lance Corporal Angel R. Ramirez
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Age: 28 years old
Died: February 21, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines-3rd Battalion-4th Marine Regiment-1st Marine Division-1st Marine
Expeditionary Force-Twentynine Palms-California
Incident: Died February 21, 2007 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms,
Calif., after being medically evacuated following a non-hostile incident in Al Qaim, Iraq, on
Dec. 21, 2006.
Death of Brooklyn Marine Under Investigation
Death of Brooklyn Marine Under Investigation
Ramirez Died from 'Non-Hostile' Wound
The U.S. Marine Corps
The Department of Defense is investigating the death of a Marine from Brooklyn who had been
serving in Iraq. Lance Cpl. Angel R. Ramirez, 28, died February 21 after becoming wounded in a
"non-hostile incident" two months earlier in Al Qaim, Iraq.
He was transported from Iraq to the Marine Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms,
Calif., where he died.
The Pentagon delayed the announcement of Ramirez's death because of an administrative change
in its classification.
Ramirez was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force.
--MyFoxNY.com
July 18, 2007
GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER ISSUES STATEMENT ON DEATH OF TWENTYNINE PALMS
MARINE
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today released the following statement regarding the death of
Lance Cpl. Angel R. Ramirez of Brooklyn, NY:
"Today, we honor Lance Corporal Angel Ramirez who gave his life in the service of his country
and freedom. As a member of the armed forces, Angel fulfilled a tremendous responsibility to our
nation's citizens. Maria and I send out heartfelt sympathies and prayers to the family and friends of
this brave Marine in their time of grief."
Ramirez, 28, died February 21 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA,
after being medically evacuated following a non-hostile incident in Al Qaim, Iraq, on December
21, 2006. Ramirez was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I
Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps, Twentynine Palms, CA.
The announcement surrounding the death of this Marine was delayed by the United States
Department of Defense due to an administrative adjustment to the Marine's original death
classification. In honor of Lance Cpl. Ramirez, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.
Corporal Lorne E. Henry, Jr.
Hometown: Niagara Falls, New York
Age: 21 years old
Died: February 27, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion-2nd Brigade Combat Team-10th
Mountain Division (Light Infantry)-Fort Drum-New York
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad.
Related Links:
One New York resident, two with ties to state, dead in Iraq (Empire State News, March 3,
2007)
One New York resident, two with ties to state, dead in Iraq
The Department of Defense announced Friday the deaths of three soldiers who were supporting
Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were assigned to an upstate New York base.
One of them was a New York resident: Cpl. Lorne Henry, Jr., 21, of Niagara Falls. The other two
are Sgt. Richard Soukenka, 30, of Oceanside, CA and Spc. Jonathan Cadavero, 24, of Takoma
Park, MD.
All three were assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,
10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum.
They died February 27 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive
device detonated near their vehicle.
Fort Drum soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A Niagara Falls soldier who was home on leave a few weeks ago
died in Iraq when the truck he was driving was rocked by an explosion, family and friends said.
Spc. Lorne Henry Jr., 21, was believed killed the morning of Feb. 27, a cousin, Amy Jones, said.
Henry was based at Fort Drum.
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, commander of the 10th Mountain Division, said Feb. 27 that three
soldiers from the northern New York base were killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, but he did not
identify the soldiers or give other details. It was the second time in less than 10 days that a
roadside bomb killed three soldiers from the Army base. The others died Feb. 19.
Henry, who was planning to leave the Army in August, graduated from Niagara Falls High School
in 2004 and was dating his high school sweetheart. He visited his mother, Wendy Kovac, and
stepfather, Charles Primerano, in Niagara Falls a few weeks before his death, the Rev. Stewart
Lindsay, pastor at St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church, said. “He always wanted to be a
cop,” said Jones, “always wanted to be helpful.”
Jones said one of Henry’s younger brothers also is in the Army, stationed in Washington. His
youngest brother is 11 years old. “He looks up to him like his idol,” Jones said of the youngest
boy. “It was really, really hard today.”
Mayor Vince Anello instructed all city buildings to fly flags at half-staff Wednesday.
“Certainly, our condolences go out to the family,” he said. “This is really close to home.”
The U.S. Department of Defense had not yet confirmed Henry’s death Wednesday morning.
Speciailst Michael D. Rivera
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Age: 22 years old
Died: March 7, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-2nd Battalion-5th Cavalry Regiment-1st Brigade-1st Cavalry Division-Fort
Hood-Texas
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations
in Baghdad.
Saturday, March 10 2007 @ 03:18 PM EST
New York Post--March 10, 2007 -- A Brooklyn-born soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in
Baghdad on Wednesday, only six months after he celebrated the greatest day of young life - the
birth of his daughter.
Army Spc. Michael D. Rivera's little girl, Joycelin - named after his beloved mother - was born
Sept. 6 in Korea, where he was stationed.
"She was my first grandchild. She was born on my birthday," Rivera's mother, Joycelin DiazPerks, said before bursting into tears. "He was thrilled she was born on that day," recalled his
father José Diaz. "Because he loved his mother so much."
At about the same time, Rivera received more good news. He was being transferred to Fort
Benning, Ga., where cousin Edward Rivera, a veteran of two tours in Iraq, was stationed.
"We were happy to be together again," said Edward, 20. "[But] his order got changed. He went to
Fort Hood in Texas. I knew they were deploying to Iraq. I told him, 'I know from experience, it
won't be so bad.' I made him promise me he was coming home."
At one point in his tour, Edward even teased Rivera that it was up to him to "save the day" in
Baghdad.
"He loved his job," Edward said. "If there was a perfect model to get into the Army, Michael
would be it."
Private First Class Anthony A. Kaiser
Hometown: Narrowsburg, New York
Age: 27 years old
Died: March 17, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-504th Military Police Battalion-42nd Military Police Brigade-Fort LewisWashington
Incident: Killed when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire in
Baghdad.
Times Herald-Record, March 21, 2007
Anthony Kaiser 'definitely was a hero,' his father says
Andrew Kaiser of Narrowsburg holds a photo of his son, Anthony, who was killed Saturday in
Baghdad.Times Herald-Record/MICHELE HASKELL
By Victor Whitman
Times Herald-Record
March 21, 2007
Narrowsburg — As he did on Monday, Andrew Kaiser went to work yesterday in a small office on
the main floor of Catskill Regional Medical Center — working to keep his mind off his dead son.
He is arranging the funeral of his son, Pfc. Anthony Kaiser, 27, who was killed Saturday in Iraq, in
long-distance calls with his son's widow, Heather. She is flying from Washington state later this
week, Kaiser said. The details of the funeral are still to be worked out.
She can't speak for long without breaking down. Kaiser hopes reporters leave her alone for a few
more days.
In Narrowsburg, where Anthony grew up, the flags at Town Hall and the fire department are at
half-staff. "The town is in mourning," said Cindy Burkle, a friend of Anthony's.
"We know everybody, we are like a family here," said Lisa Conte, 25, a schoolmate, who was
ringing up customers at Peck's Market.
"He was such a decent guy," said John Ogozalek, his former history teacher, who was in the
process of writing the address on a care package he planned to send to Anthony when he found out
he had been killed. "Yesterday, I think the school was recovering from the shock."
Details are few as to why Anthony Kaiser died, even to his family. The Army has told his father
that he was killed in a firefight. Anthony, a military policeman who was stationed in Baghdad, had
been in Iraq for about six months, his father said. He often searched for weapons and bombs on
military checkpoints. On infrequent calls home, he told his father that he sometimes also searched
for roadside bombs. The Army will only say "he came into contact with enemy forces using smallarms fire."
Back in Fort Lewis, Wash., where he was stationed, there will be a service today. He was
posthumously promoted to the rank of specialist. "He was a great soldier," said Lt. Col. James
Mullen, his battalion commander. "Everybody talked about what a great soldier he was and how
bravely he served." Anthony last called home about three weeks ago. He told his father that he
wanted to come home. He had no regrets. Kaiser told him that he packed up some razors and was
shipping them over. In his office yesterday, Kaiser took down a photo of his son that is tacked to a
board next to his desk.
In the photo, Anthony is wearing his dress-green army uniform and a black beret, the mark of a
military policeman. He is smiling. "He definitely was a hero," Kaiser said. Army Specialist
Anthony A. Kaiser, 27, a lifelong resident of Narrowsburg, N.Y., died on Saturday, March 17, in
Balad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade,
in Fort Lewis, Wash.
The son of Andrew Kaiser and the late Stephanie Castellano Kaiser, he was born on Dec. 13,
1979, in Honesdale. He was a member of St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church in
Narrowsburg, N.Y. He was a member of the Narrowsburg Fire Department and the East
Stroudsburg Moose Lodge.
A family statement reads: "Anthony was a special person. He was a loving husband, son, brother
and a great friend to many. SSG Parker wrote a letter to Heather stating Anthony was referred as
the 'Quiet Professional': the other soldiers had to work very hard to keep up with Anthony. He
never complained and had such a positive attitude. He will truly be missed."
He is survived by his wife, Heather; his father, Andrew, and stepmother, Marilyn Kelly; a brother,
Staff Sgt. Steven Kaiser and his wife, Candace; a stepbrother, Michael Kelly and his wife, Angela;
and a stepsister, Kristen Kelly.He is preceded in death by his mother, Stephanie, and his brother
Brian.
A visitation will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. on Monday, March 26, at the Rasmussen Funeral Home,
90 Main St., Narrowsburg, NY 12764. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on
Tuesday, March 27, at St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church in Narrowsburg. Christian
burial will follow the Mass at St. Francis Cemetery in Narrowsburg. The Rev. William Scully,
O.F.M., will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Narrowsburg Fire Department, P.O. Box
184, Narrowsburg, NY 12764.
Published in the Pocono Record on 3/26/2007.
Army Specialist Anthony A. Kaiser, 27, a lifelong resident of Narrowsburg, died March 17, 2007
in Balad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police
Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.
The son of Andrew Kaiser and the late Stephanie Castellano Kaiser, he was born December 13,
1979 in Honesdale, Pa.
Anthony was a member of St. Francis Xavier R.C. Church, Narrowsburg. He was a member of the
Narrowsburg Fire Dept., Narrowsburg, and the East Stroudsburg Moose Lodge, East Stroudsburg,
Pa.
A family statement reads: "Anthony was a special person. He was a loving husband, son, brother
and a great friend to many. SSG Parker wrote a letter to Heather stating Anthony was referred as
the "Quiet Professional", the other soldiers had to work very hard to keep up with Anthony. He
never complained and had such a positive attitude. He will truly be missed."
He is survived by his wife, Heather; his father, Andrew, and stepmother, Marilyn Kelly; brother,
Staff Sergeant Steven Kaiser and his wife, Candace; stepbrother, Michael Kelly and his wife,
Angela; and stepsister, Kristen Kelly.
He is predeceased by his mother, Stephanie; and his brother, Brian. Visitation will be held
Monday, March 26, 2007 from 2 to 9 p.m. at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 90 Main St.,
Narrowsburg.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, March 27, at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier
R.C. Church in Narrowsburg. Christian burial will follow the mass at St. Francis Cemetery,
Narrowsburg. Rev. William Scully O.F.M. will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Narrowsburg Fire Dept., PO Box 184,
Narrowsburg, NY 12764.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rasmussen Funeral Home.
Published in the Times Herald-Record on 3/26/2007.
Corporal Henry W. Bogrette
Hometown: Richville, New York
Age: 21 years old
Died: March 22, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines-Combat Logistics Battalion 6-2nd Marine Corps Logistics Group-2nd Marine
Expeditionary Force-Camp Lejeune-North Carolina
Incident: Died while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province.
Related Links:
SLC Marine hero laid to rest (Newswatch 50, N.Y., April 2, 2007)
Hermon-Dekalb graduate killed in Iraq (Newswatch 50, N.Y., March 23, 2007)
Contributed by:
Tuesday, March 27 2007 @ 08:38 AM EDT
–News Observer-- A Marine from New York based at Camp Lejeune was killed Thursday
while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Henry W. Bogrette, 21, of Richville, N.Y., died while conducting combat operations in Anbar
Province in Iraq. He was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 6, 2nd Marine Corps Logistics
Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune.
"He wanted a better life, and he chose the Marine Corps to do it with," his brother Jeffrey
Bogrette, 19, said Monday from New York. "Now I feel the Marine Corps took that away from
him."
Jeffrey Bogrette, who is a Marine based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., said their grandparents scraped
and scrounged to keep food on the table for their household, which expanded to include the two
boys after their father died. It meant luxuries and even necessities were sometimes sacrificed.
Henry Bogrette was known for his straightforward personality and his regard for his beloved
Camaro. He also had a penchant for nice clothes and other fancy things. He saw the Marines as a
way to attain everything he wanted.
"He wanted to get out of the Marines and get a job as a state trooper," Jeffrey Bogrette said.
Henry Bogrette graduated from Herman-DeKalb Central High School in DeKalb Junction, N.Y.,
in 2004 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in September of that year. According to officials with the
2nd Marine Corps Logistics Group, Bogrette joined his unit April 10, 2005.
Henry Bogrette was less than a month into his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed.
Jeffrey Bogrette said he looked up to his older brother, so much so that he joined the Marine Corps
to follow in his footsteps. Jeffrey even named his first child after his brother.
Besides his brother, Henry Bogrette is survived by his grandmother, Joan Neuman of Richville,
N.Y.; and three sisters, Susie Bogrette of South Carolina, Shannon Bogrette of Wichita, Kan., and
Jackie Bogrette of Massena, N.Y.
Specialist Brian E. Ritzberg
Hometown: Long Island City, New York
Age: 24 years old
Died: April 2, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-977th Military Police Company-97th Military Police Battalion-1st
Infantry Division-Fort Riley-Kansas
Incident: Died of wounds suffered when a makeshift bomb detonated near his unit
during combat operations in Balad.
Related Links:
Fallen Hero (Queens Courier, N.Y., April 5, 2007)
Tears for Queens soldier (Newsday, April 4, 2007)
Queens Army reservist is killed by bomb (New York Daily News, N.Y., April 4,
2007)
Fallen Hero
BY CHRISTINA SANTUCCI
Thursday, April 5, 2007 4:07 PM EDT
A Long Island City soldier, who would have turned 25 this month, was killed in a bomb
blast in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Specialist Brian Ritzberg died while conducting security for a Police Transition Team on
Monday, April 2 when a vehicle driven by an apparent suicide bomber exploded near his
military compound, officials said.
“He had his whole life ahead of him,” Ritzberg’s devastated father, Brian Sr., said. “He
loved life; he loved people; people loved him; and life loved him.”
At the time of his death, Ritzberg had been assigned to the 97th Military Police Battalion
in the 977th Military Police Company in Fort Riley, KS, according the Defense
Department. The unit was part of the 1st Infantry Division.
Local political leaders issued statements to Ritzberg’s family and wife extending their
sympathies. “He now joins the ranks of our nation’s honored war dead and leaves us with a debt
that we can never repay,” said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. “[Ritzberg] is now the
18th son of Queens to lose his life during this war.”
A graduate of Thomas A. Edison Vocational & Technical High School in Jamaica and former
high school track star, Ritzberg enlisted in February 2005 to get experience to become a police
officer.
“He either wanted to be a police officer or work with computers,” Brian Sr. said, explaining that
his son was self-taught in electronics.
Ritzberg’s father expected his son to return home in July. The last time they saw each other was
Thanksgiving 2006, Brian Sr. said.
“He is my only child, my brother’s only nephew, and my mother’s only grandson,” Brian Sr.
said, explaining that all three of Ritzberg’s siblings are half brothers. “There is no other kid in
this family. He was the last.”
Ritzberg’s 20-year-old wife, Clara, a graduate of Richmond Hill High School, had also signed up
as a reservist and is part of a unit based in Fort Riley. The couple lived together in an apartment
in Long Island City, and was eager to start a family together, Brian Sr. said.
“To me, family is the most important thing life has to offer. When the world turns its back on
you they will always be there,” Ritzberg wrote in a comment section on his personal
MySpace.com online page.
Photographs on his webpage depicted Ritzberg in military garb and posing with his bride, and on
Wednesday, April 3, Specialist Anthony Autry left a message on Ritzberg’s page telling his
friend to “Rest in peace.”
When asked to describe his fallen comrade, Autry said, “[Ritzberg] was a good friend and
always had my back when I needed him. Loyal, free spirited. He just made me laugh. He didn’t
deserve this.”
Below Autry’s comment was one Clara had written on her husband’s webpage, saying, “Smiles
and tears, giggles and laughs, late night calls and cute photographs. I’ll be there for you ‘til the
day of my death. Best friends forever ‘til my very last breath.”
On Wednesday, April 4, two days after her husband’s death, Clara’s MySpace.com screen name
- the top friend on Ritzberg’s page - was listed, as “I love my husband!”
Her profile photo showed the couple kissing, and a half-dozen friends left messages for
Ritzberg’s young wife offering condolences and support.
Brian Sr. said that family members planned to grieve together privately for Ritzberg, and called
his son’s death “senseless.”
“If you want to put a question mark at the end of your story, you can put why he died. Because I
would like to know the reason,” the heartbroken dad said.
A photo from Brian Ritzberg’s
MySpace.com page shows the Military
Police specialist and his wife, Clara.
Queens Army reservist is killed by bomb
BY MIKE WHITE and LEO STANDORA
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Wednesday, April 4th 2007, 4:00 AM
A Queens Army reservist sent to Iraq last month after he asked to see action died Monday
in a homemade-bomb blast that ripped through his unit in the northern city of Kirkuk,
officials said.
Spec. Brian Ritzberg, 24, suffered mortal wounds on a combat mission and died in Balad,
where the Air Force has a base, the Defense Department said.
Ritzberg was with the 977th Military Police Company based in Fort Riley, Kan., where
his wife, also a soldier, is stationed.
"Brian's wife is devastated," his anguished grandmother Jean said last night from her
home in Long Island City.
"Both of them signed up for active duty, but only he was called. He was supposed to
come home, and they looked forward to being together. It's such a waste of life, such a
waste of a young life," she said.
Ritzberg was born in Queens and attended Thomas Edison High School, where he was a
standout member of the track team.
"After graduating, he did a few odd jobs, then joined the service because he wanted to
serve his country," the grandmother said. "He did that honorably, and we're proud of
him."
She described her grandson as "a beautiful human being, full of fun and full of life."
"He's going to be missed," she said in a halting voice. "He leaves a deep void in our
family. No one will ever take his place."
Brian Eugene Ritzberg Jr.
>RITZBERG Spc. Brian Eugene Ritzberg Jr., 24, of Ft. Riley, Kansas, formerly of Long
Island City, Queens, N.Y., and grandson of Jean Ritzberg of Old Buck-ingham Road,
Powhatan, Va., lost his life in Kirkuk, Iraq on April 2, 2007. He is survived by his
devoted and loving wife, Clara; his father, Brian Sr.; devoted mother, Margaret Fields; a
devoted grandmother, Jean Ritzberg; grandfather, Charles Ritzberg of Richmond, Va.;
one uncle, Keith Ritzberg; and a host of other relatives and friends. His remains rest at
Marian Gray Thomas Funeral Home, Cumberland, Va. Funeral services will be held 1
p.m. Saturday, April 14, 2007 at Mt. Pero Baptist Church, Powhatan. Rev. Kelvin A.
Jackson Sr. officiating, with interment in the church cemetery with full military honors.
Viewing will be held Friday from 3 to 8 p.m.
Published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on 4/12/2007.
Private First Class Daniel A. Fuentes
Hometown: Levittown, New York
Age: 19 years old
Died: April 6, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-1st Battalion-28th Infantry Regiment-4th Infantry Brigade Combat
Team- 1st Infantry Division-Fort Riley-Kansas
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad.
Related Links:
LI soldier killed in Iraq (Newsday, N.Y., April 7, 2007)
Levittown soldier laid to rest (Newsday, N.Y., April 16, 2007)
Mourning their fallen soldier (Newsday, N.Y., April 14, 2007)
Levittown Solider Daniel Fuentes Killed in Iraq (Levittown Tribune, N.Y., April 12,
2007)
Levittown Soldier Daniel Fuentes Killed in Iraq
By Jaime L. Tomeo
In a town all too familiar with military casualties, the Levittown community has just
received news of another fallen soldier.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Pfc. Daniel A. Fuentes, 19, of Levittown,
died on April 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered after his vehicle was struck by an
improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry
Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, deployed out of
Fort Riley, KS. This was Fuentes' first deployment in Iraq.
Fuentes enlisted in the Army in 2005, three months after graduation from Island Trees
High School. Social worker Susan Lyons said he would even return for visits to the
school when home from the Army on leave.
"In fact, he came to visit just two weeks before he was deployed to Iraq in February," she
added. "He was the best of the best; a hardworking, never give up kind of guy. He never
had a bad word to say about anybody. He had this smile that lit up a room."
It was also at ITHS that he met his fiancé, Emma McGarry, 20, who is four months
pregnant with Fuentes' child. McGarry has a 5-year-old daughter from a previous
relationship that Fuentes was planning on adopting. "He was very devoted to her," Lyons
said.
Pamela Hostetter, an administrative assistant at ITHS, said the school held a moment of
silence on Tuesday morning after returning from spring break. "We are also postponing
the pep rally originally scheduled for Friday until next week out of respect for the
family," she added. At ITHS Fuentes was a member of the wrestling team. Damian
Garcia, a special education teacher and varsity wrestling coach said Fuentes was "a really
great young man to coach."
"He was self-motivated," Garcia added. "He really looked for the best in the team, rather
than the best in himself first. He would do anything for his teammates. He was also
supportive of anyone around him."
Flags at all schools in the Island Trees School District are being flown at half-staff. "It's a
tough thing," Hostetter said. "He has a brother and some cousins who still attend the high
school and we are reaching out to students who we think would need our help."
He is survived by his parents Nancy and Armando Fuentes, and siblings, Julio, 17 and
Tatyana, 7. While the date has yet to be set, Fuentes' funeral will be held at Charles J.
O'Shea Funeral Home in Wantagh and he will be buried at Long Island National
Cemetery in Pinelawn.
Daniel Fuentes
FUENTES - Daniel SPC , brave soldier of the US Army while serving this country in
Iraq, suddenly on April 6th in his 19th year. Cherished son of Nancy and Armando
Fuentes. Devoted brother of Julio and Tatyana. Loving grandson of Carmen Lenis and
Maria Cristina Fuentes. Beloved fiance of Emma McGarry and missed by her daughter
Tatiana. Daniel will be deeply missed and never forgotten by his many friends and
family. Reposing tomorrow after 7pm at Charles J. O'Shea Funeral Home 603 Wantagh
Avenue (Exit 28N S.S. Pkwy) Wantagh, NY. In funeral home chaplin service Monday,
10am. Interment to follow at Long Island National Cemetery, Pinelawn, NY. Family will
receive friends Saturday 7-9pm and Sunday 2-5 and 7-9pm. In lieu of flowers, donations
can be made to Daniel Fuentes Memorial Fund and mailed to Island Trees High School,
Att: Bill Kealy, 59 Straight Lane Levittown, NY 11756.
Staff Sergeant Steve Butcher Jr.
Hometown: Penfield, New York
Age: 27 years old
Died: May 23, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-3rd Battalion-69th Armor Regiment-1st Brigade Combat Team-3rd
Infantry Division-Fort Stewart-Georgia
Incident: Killed in Ramadi when a makeshift bomb exploded near his unit.
Related Links:
School Honors Fallen Alum
(democratandchronicle.com, May 31, 2007)
Butcher, Steve Jr.
IRAQ: May 23, 2007. Predeceased by mother, Maryangela Butcher and grandfather,
Hugh F. Butcher. Survived by daughter, Molly Angela Butcher; parents, Steve (Dianna)
Butcher Sr., sisters, Angela Butcher, Liza (Shaun) Voos and Mandy (Gabe) Weiler;
grandmother, Gloria Butcher; many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Calling, Friday 5-9 PM at Falvo Funeral Home, 1295 Nine Mile Point Road, Webster
(Rte. 250 between State & Plank Road).
Steve's Funeral Service will be held Saturday 10 AM at New Covenant Christian
Fellowship, 1350 Five Line Mile Road at Plank Road. In lieu of flowers, memorial
donations may be made to Steve Butcher Sr. for a fund for Molly Butcher, 36 W. Main
St., Suite 110, Rochester, NY 14614. Interment, Arlington National Cemetery.
Specialist James E. Lundin
Hometown: Bellport, New York
Age: 20 years old
Died: May 30, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-1st Battalion-18th Infantry Regiment-2nd Brigade Combat Team-1st
Infantry Division-Schweinfurt-Germany
Incident: Killed in Baghdad when the vehicle they were in struck a makeshift bomb.
Private First Class Matthew E. Baylis
Hometown: Oakdale, New York
Age: 20 years old
Died: May 31, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-2nd Battalion-12th Infantry Regiment-2nd Brigade Combat Team-2nd
Infantry Division-Fort Carson-Colorado
Incident: Died May 31, 2007 of wounds suffered in action on May 30 in Baghdad,
when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy small arms fire.
Related Links:
Baylis: He Died Fullfilling His Dream of Being in the Army
(newsday.com, June 2, 2007)
Matthew E. Baylis
BAYLIS - US Army SPC Matthew E. , age 20 years, of Oakdale, LI (while serving in
Iraq), on May 31, 2007. Beloved son of Richard and Laurie Baylis. Dear brother of Marc.
Cherished grandson of Erika Farrell and Hilda Baylis. Also survived by his beloved Lisa
Laura and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Reposing Thursday, 7-9:30PM and
Friday, 2-4:30 and 7-9:30PM at Raynor & D'Andrea Funeral Home, 245 Montauk Hwy.
West Sayville. Religious Service Saturday, 10AM St. John's Lutheran Church, Sayville,
LI. Interment Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton, LI. In lieu of flowers
contributions in his Memory to Wounded Warriors (www.woundedwarriors.org), AER
(www.aerhg.org) or USO (www.uso.org, are appreciated.
Published in Newsday on 6/6/2007.
Sergeant Kimel L. Watt
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Age: 21 years old
Died: June 3, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-1st Battalion-7th Field Artillery Regiment-2nd Brigade Combat Team1st Infantry Division-Schweinfurt-Germany
Incident: Died of wounds suffered when makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle
in Baghdad.
Related Links:
Another New York soldier falls in Iraq (newsday.com, June 8, 2007)
Sgt. Kimel L. Watt
Family remembers soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Sgt. Kimel L. Watt’s family was full of joy just two days before his death. They
learned that he had been accepted into the University of Maine to study computers.
“He just wanted to get a good job and help the family,” said his father, Clifton. “Now,
he’s gone, and I don’t know if we can live without him.”
Watt, 21, of New York City, was killed by a roadside bomb June 3 in Baghdad. He was
assigned to Schweinfurt, Germany. His father said he and his wife, Naomi Watt, have
two daughters and three other sons, but Kimel was the one closest to his mother. “He
always was saying, ‘Mommy, I love you.’ It’s especially hard for her. She’s in shock.”
After graduating high school, he passed up a scholarship to Johnson and Wales
University to join the military. He served at military bases in Korea, Germany and
Kuwait.
“We used to hang out, watch TV and play video games. We were real close. When I
heard he died, I bugged out. I got down on my knees, crying and punching the floor,”
said his younger brother, Dwight. Added his mother: “He was a very good son. When I
see what he did, he made me so proud.”
Saturday, June 09 2007 @ 06:25 PM EDT
Newsday---It's the sight that every family with a loved one in the military fears.
For the family of Sgt. Kimel L. Watt of East New York that dreaded visit came at 9 a.m.
Sunday when two somber soldiers knocked on their front door.
"I knew Kimel had died," said a weeping Clifton Watt, Kimel's father, recalling the
moment he saw the officers.
The Department of Defense announced Friday that Watt, 21, had died June 3 in Baghdad
of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. His
family said he was patrolling on a mountainside at the time.
Watt was assigned to the First Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, First Infantry Division based in Schweinfurt, Germany, according to the
Defense Department.
Watt emigrated from Manchester, Jamaica, to the United States with his family when he
was 6. His family said he was driven and family-oriented, and that he was well respected
and popular around the neighborhood. "He likes being around family," said his sister,
Selesha Gowins, 28, one of his 13 siblings. "We'd have family outings at Red Lobster."
He graduated from Automotive High School in Brooklyn and passed up a scholarship to
Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island to join the military.
Soon after graduation, he enlisted in the Army and after completing boot camp; he served
at military bases in Korea, Germany, Kuwait and finally Iraq. "We didn't know until
January" that he was being assigned to Iraq, said his mother, Naomi Watt, 52. "I don't
think he wanted us to worry."
Watt last came home for 15 days in March to visit his father, who was hospitalized, the
family said. His sister said, "He didn't want to talk about things over there."
The family said they communicated with Watt regularly through the MySpace Web site
and phone calls, many which lasted 20 and 30 minutes. They said Watt was in good
spirits the last time they spoke with him.
"He said, 'Don't worry I'll be back in June,'" Gowins said. "The only thing he said was he
wasn't on the front lines, that he was helping the Iraqi people with food, water and
medical supplies."
His mother said Watt was meticulous about staying in touch. "He always called me," his
mother said. "He called me for Mother's Day and then two weeks after." She said the last
thing he ever said to her was "Mommy, I believe in God." As his mother sobbed and
reflected on her son's life, she said. "He makes me proud to know that he went to do
something good for himself. He didn't stay back and hang around the corner, which is
what his friends did."
A wake will be held June 19 at New Jerusalem Church on Springfield Boulevard in
Springfield Gardens from 3 to 7 p.m. A funeral will immediately follow. Burial will be
June 20 at Calverton National Cemetery.
Sergeant Shawn P. Martin
Hometown: Delmar, New York
Age: 30 years old
Died: June 20, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines-Combat Logistics Battalion 13-13th Marine Expeditionary Unit-I
Marine Expeditionary Force-Camp Pendleton-California
Incident: Died while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Proud to Serve, Marine Sacrifived All (timesunion.com, June 22, 2007)
Shawn Martin
Martin, Shawn The officers and members of the Elsmere Fire Company A Inc. are
requested to meet at the firehouse Wednesday, June 27 at 6 p.m. in full dress uniform.
We will then proceed to St. Thomas Church to pay our last respects to our fallen brother,
Shawn Martin. James Trotta President William Webb Chief
Published in the Albany Times Union on 6/27/2007.
Upstate N.Y. Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BETHLEHEM, N.Y. — A Marine from Delmar was killed in Iraq when a roadside bomb
went off in the city of Saqlawiyah, according to family members.
Shawn Martin, 30, died June 20, said Terry Hannigan, an attorney acting as family
spokesman.
Before his deployment overseas, the Bethlehem native worked as a firefighter.
“He wanted to be the guy going in and taking care of everybody. He would do whatever
he needed to do to get the job done,” said Elsmere fire captain Rick Zigrosser.
Martin married his wife, Marianne, in 2002. He grew up in Delmar, but most recently
lived in California when he wasn’t overseas.
He was an ordinance specialist, Combat Logistic Battalion 13, 13th Marine
Expeditionary Unit.
Family, friends remember Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
The last time Marine Sgt. Shawn P. Martin’s family heard from him was the day he
arrived in Iraq, May 22. He e-mailed his family that day: “I thank God that I wake up
every morning and put on this uniform with the knowledge of knowing that for all that I
sacrifice today allows you all to have a safer and brighter tomorrow.
Again I thank you all for all the support you give me and my brothers in arms. All my
love. Shawn.” Martin, 30, of Delmar, N.Y., was killed June 20 while conducting combat
operations in Anbar province. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Before graduating high school in 1995, he played football from 1991 until his senior year.
After graduation, he joined the same fire department his father and grandfather had been
part of. “He climbed all over the fire trucks when he was a kid. He wanted to follow in
his father’s footsteps. He always said he couldn’t wait to join,” family friend Tom
Heffernan said.
“He wanted to be the guy going in and taking care of everybody. He would do whatever
he needed to do to get the job done,” said Elsmere fire captain Rick Zigrosser.
His wife Marianne survives him.
Sergeant Alphonso J. Montenegro II
Hometown: Far Rockaway, New York
Age: 22 years old
Died: June 21, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-1st Battalion-26th Infantry Regiment-2nd Brigade Combat Team-1st
Infantry Division-Schweinfurt-Germany
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near their vehicle.
Family remember soldier killed in Iraq
Sgt. Alphonso J. Montenegro II
The Associated Press
Army Sgt. Alphonso J. Montenegro II made sure to call his mother and arrange for
flowers to be delivered on Mother’s Day. He called again on June 9, his 22nd birthday.
He was thrilled that a package from home had arrived that very day.
“Candy and potato chips,” said his mother, Sandra Montenegro.
“He called to say thank you. He was so happy.”
Montenegro, of New York City, was killed June 21 by an explosive in Baghdad. He was
assigned to Schweinfurt, Germany.
His mother still called him “Fofo.” “When he was little, he couldn’t say ‘Alphonso,’ He
said, ‘Fofo,’ so we kept that name for him forever,” she said. After his grandmother died
from cancer, he announced he was going into medicine. On the day he died, he
volunteered to go out on tour. “The commander said he was always there for the other
soldiers,” she said. “And he saved many lives. All his friends are devastated just like us,
because that was his family there.”
In December, before shipping out, Montenegro, who usually did not like to have his
picture taken, made a request. “He told me he wanted a picture of us together,” his
mother said.
Unit’s bond forged by loss of comrades
By Michelle Tan
Staff writer
ADHAMIYAH, Iraq — There is no shortage of jokes, pranks and trash talk among the
soldiers of C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry. But underneath the laughter is a
bond cemented by the heavy losses suffered by these young men in the seven months
they have spent at Forward Operating Base Apache in Adhamiyah, one of the last Sunni
strongholds in Baghdad.
The company has lost six soldiers, and each platoon has shared in those crushing losses.
Second Platoon has been most heavily hit: four of the six soldiers killed in action
belonged to that platoon.
“Because we’ve had so many losses in the platoon, I know for a fact the bond in the
platoon is much tighter,” said Sgt. 1st Class Tim Ybay, who serves as the platoon leader.
“I talked to them before we all left, and my goal was to bring all 38 home. I take every
loss personally.”
To cope with the pain of losing a brother-in-arms, Ybay, 38, said he talks to his soldiers.
“We talk a lot,” he said. “We talk about the good times we had with the soldier, we talk
about the first time he got to the unit. We never think about the bad memories — it’s
always the good memories.”
Adhamiyah, in east Baghdad, is home to many Saddam Hussein loyalists, former Baath
Party members and former Iraqi army generals, said Capt. Mike Baka, commander of C
Company. Also in Adhamiyah is the Abu Hanifa mosque, a large Sunni mosque that
serves as the focal point of the district.
“This is the last location Saddam Hussein spoke before he went into hiding,” Baka said.
“On November 5th, when the Saddam verdict came out, we had a pretty large uprising.”
Five minutes after the former dictator was sentenced to death for the massacre of Iraqi
citizens, the soldiers started receiving fire from both sides of the river. The five-hour
battle resulted in 38 enemy fighters killed and more than 10 wounded.
The soldiers have come under every type of attack imaginable, said Sgt. 1st Class Cedric
Thomas, platoon sergeant for 1st Platoon.
“The attacks have decreased, but we usually get attacked really good once a month, then
it calms down,” he said. “And when you think it’s really good, you get another attack
again. It’s something you end up expecting.”
The insurgents in Adhamiyah sometimes use grenades against American forces. Spc.
Ross McGinnis, a soldier in Thomas’ platoon, was killed Dec. 4 when he threw himself
on a grenade that was thrown into his Humvee. The 19-year-old saved Thomas’ life and
that of three other soldiers; he has been nominated for the Medal of Honor.
“McGinnis had a big impact and influence on the platoon,” Thomas said. “He was so
sharp. These guys really looked up to him. When you lose something like that so fast, it
took about a month to get my guys’ minds on track. But we still patrolled, we still went
out of the wire together.”
Thomas, 30, said he relies on the other two platoon sergeants for support when dealing
with the loss of a soldier.
“When one of us has a loss, we’re always there for each other,” he said. “My platoon, the
guys were tight anyway. Now everyone’s lost someone, it’s really a tight group.”
Despite shouldering more than their fair share of loss, the soldiers of C Company
continue to push forward, strengthened by the camaraderie that only those who share
combat together can fully understand.
They maintain a nearly constant presence on the streets of Adhamiyah, patrolling the
neighborhoods day and night. They have detained many high-value targets and seized
illegal weapons. They sweep into houses looking for insurgents, but at the same time
comfort children frightened by the sight of heavily armed American soldiers.
“It’s hard, but you’ve got to get through the hard times, and we’re doing that as a family,”
Baka said. “We have a mission to do, and we’re doing it and trying to get everyone else
home in one piece.”
Ybay said he’s proud of his soldiers and what they’ve accomplished. “We just take it one
day at a time,” Ybay said. “I went home on leave and my job is to have a good time with
my family, but this is my other family here. I couldn’t stop worrying about them.” Sgt.
Ryan Wood, 22, who’s in 2nd Platoon, said he copes by sticking on his headphones and
listening to music.
“Everybody copes differently,” he said. “Everybody’s real close. Like we say, [Ybay] is
the twisted father, we’re all his kids and he takes care of us.” Wood, who was stop-lossed
to deploy to Iraq, said he’s changed since he got here in August. “Going on R&R, I didn’t
take anything for granted,” he said. Wood said he plans to leave the Army when his tour
is over. “I’ve seen enough, I’ve done enough,” he said.
Pfc. Armando Cardenas, 21, who also is in 2nd Platoon, said the situation in Adhamiyah
has improved since the soldiers arrived. “It was trashed when we got here,” he said.
“People are reporting IEDs now. That’s a step forward.” But Cardenas admits he
sometimes is frustrated by how slow progress can be. “I wish we could do more for the
people, but they don’t want to cooperate,” he said. “There’s not much we can do without
their help.”
The death of Sgt. Willsun Mock in October was especially tough on Cardenas.
“He was one of my best friends,” he said. “You hope you never have to go through it but
you do. We don’t take anybody for granted anymore.”
Sgt. Alphonso Montenegro, 21, who also was stop-lossed to deploy to Iraq, lost his squad
leader, Staff Sgt. Garth Sizemore, and Mock, one of his best friends. “He was my
brother,” Montenegro said about Mock. “He taught me everything about being a leader;
he helped me study for the [promotion] board.” Mock was killed in an IED attack, and
Montenegro said he was very angry.
“I wanted to relieve my anger,” he said. “They kept us in for four days. I think it’s good I
didn’t go [outside the wire]. It was hard, but I have to move on.” For those who served
with the company in Balad in 2004 and 2005, this deployment to Adhamiyah has been
much more challenging, said Sgt. James Lesco, 24, of 1st Platoon. “The last time, I lost
one friend,” he said. “This time, the company’s lost six, and three of them were actually
good friends. It’s reality, so we just have to get through it. I think now we value each
other more.”
Private First Class Le Ron A. Wilson
Hometown: Queens, New York
Age: 18 years old
Died: July 6, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-26th Brigade Support Battalion-2nd Brigade-3rd Infantry DivisionFort Stewart-Georgia
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle.
Related Links:
Queens resident killed in Iraq, 18 (newsday.com, July 11, 2007)
Bill Moyers on sacrifice and war.
BILL MOYERS: Listening to the last part of that conversation about the realities on the
ground, two sets of images keep playing over and again in my mind. LeRon Wilson was
laid to rest here in New York City the other day, with full military honors. At the
neighborhood Roman Catholic Church in Queens he was eulogized for a life of dignity
and integrity - willing to do whatever was necessary to be an instrument of peace.
LeRon Wilson grew up on the Caribbean island of Trinidad where his father is a military
officer. With his mother he came to Queens when he was 11 and dreamed of serving in
the U.S. Army. With parental consent, he enlisted at the age of 17, soon after graduating
from high school. Less than a month ago, on July 6, Private First Class LeRon Wilson,
and another member of his platoon were killed when their military vehicle hit a roadside
bomb south of Baghdad.
Queens Community Remembers Soldier Killed in Iraq
Le Ron Wilson, 18, Was One Of Youngest U.S. Fatalies To Date
BY ELIZABETH HUR, CBS 2 NEWS
NEW YORK (CBS) ― The war in Iraq hit close to home in Queens Tuesday.
Family members gathered to say their final goodbyes to Private First Class Le Ron
Wilson. Wilson died earlier this month in Baghdad when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb.
Just 18-years old, Wilson was one of the youngest U.S. soldiers killed in action.
The Patriot guard riders also paid their respects as the young soldier's funeral got
underway with full military honors.
Anna Lisa Fecentese, a family friend, said that Wilson died a proud soldier.
"He always wanted to go there," Fecentese said, "to win this battle." "He was living his
dream," another friend, Daniel Rafael, agreed. "He passed away so early."
Born in Trinidad and raised in Queens, Wilson realized his dream just last year. He was
only 17 when he joined the Armed Forces and his mother had to sign a waiver that
allowed him to serve. Dozens honored his heroism, bravery and passion.
"He was a loving child," his aunt, Anne Marie Charles, said. "That's how I'll remember
him." Wilson is survived by his parents and a younger brother.
Corporal Christopher G. Scherer
Hometown: East Northport, New York
Age: 21 years old
Died: July 21, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines-1st Combat Engineer Battalion-1st Marine Division-1st Marine
Expeditionary Force-Camp Pendleton-California
Incident: Killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province.
Related Links:
Family, friends pay tribute to slain Marine (Newsday, July 29, 2007)
Farewell, our hero (New York Daily News, N.Y., July 29, 2007)
Farewell, our hero
L.I. pastor remembers 'solid' Marine as family says final goodbye
BY WARREN WOODBERRY Jr. and CHRISTINA BOYLE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Sunday, July 29th 2007, 4:00 AM
Marine honor guard carries flag-draped coffin of Christopher Scherer from Centerport church.
Christopher Scherer was killed in Iraq July22.
A Long Island pastor found symbolism in a set of church steps to pay tribute to fallen
Marine Christopher Scherer at his funeral yesterday.
"When I first met Chris on the back steps, rebuilding the church steps as part of his Eagle
Scout project, I thought it was going to be a big project," said Pastor Chuck Van Houten
of the Centerport United Methodist Church.
"What a wonderful job he did, because those steps remain today - solid. That's the kind of
person he became." Scherer, 21, was mortally wounded last Sunday in a firefight in Al
Anbar province in western Iraq.
He was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine
Expeditionary Force in Camp Pendleton, Calif., one of 4,000 Marines sent to Al Anbar as
part of President Bush's "surge" plan to counter insurgents.
Loved ones said Scherer joined the Marines right out of Northport High School, and his
parents, Janet and Tim, read a poem their son wrote for the family. "When Chris was
getting ready to be deployed he was very short on words," Janet said. "He was always
ready with a joke or a kiss to make us smile."
Scherer's 18-year-old twin sisters showed the packed church a video they made for their
brother with pictures of happier days at his graduation, on holiday and as a child.
"When I think of Chris I can't help but laugh because that's what he did, he made us laugh
every day," Meghan said.
But as Scherer's flag-draped coffin was loaded onto the hearse, emotions overcame her
and Meghan leaned on her father's shoulder and cried.
Commanding officer Lt. Col. Wayne Sinclaire said: "Men like Chris stepped forward to
be counted."
Specialist Charles E. Bilbrey Jr.
Hometown: Owego, New York
Age: 21 years old
Died: July 26, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-5th Squadron-7th Cavalry Regiment-1st Brigade Combat Team-3rd
Infantry Division-Fort Stewart-Georgia
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle in Saqlawiyah,
Iraq.
Related:
Veterans Honor Owego Soldier Killed by Explosive in Iraq
(Ithaca Journal, N.Y., Aug. 3, 2007)
Salute to a Fallen Hero
(Press & Sun-Bulletin, N.Y., Aug. 4, 2007)
SP4 Charles E. Bilbrey, Jr. of Owego
SP4 Charles E. Bilbrey, Jr., 21, of Owego, died Friday, July 27, 2007, while serving our
Country in Iraq. He was predeceased by his paternal grandmother, Victoria (Bilbrey)
Lindsey in 2005. "Charlie" is survived by his parents, Charles and Barbara Bilbrey,
Owego; two sisters, Brianne and Shannon Bilbrey, Owego; brother, Patrick Bilbrey,
Owego; maternal grandparents, John and Ann Hemminger, Cornwell, N.Y.; several
aunts, uncles and cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, August, 4, 2007, at 10:00 a.m.
at St. Patrick's Church, Owego. Burial will follow in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Owego. The
family will receive friends Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Estey, Munroe & Fahey Funeral
Home, 15 Park St., Owego. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in
SP4 Charles E. Bilbrey, Jr.'s memory to the Charles E. Bilbrey, Jr. Scholarship Fund, c/o
Owego-Apalachin School District, 36 Talcott St., Owego, New York 13827.
I Stood Proud
I Stood Tall
High Above It All
I Still Believed
IN MY Dream
Corporal Juan M. Alcantara
Hometown: New York, New York
Age: 22 years old
Died: August 6, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-1st Battalion-23rd Infantry Regiment-3rd Brigade-2nd Infantry
Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team)-Fort Lewis-Washington
Incident: Killed by a makeshift bomb in Baqubah.
Related Links:
NYC soldier mourned (Newsday, Aug. 17, 2007)
G.I. killed in Iraq never saw own child (NY Daily News, Aug. 11, 2007)
Legacy.com Tribute
NYC soldier mourned
BY LAURA RIVERA | laura.rivera@newsday.com
11:14 PM EDT, August 17, 2007
During six months in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Jerry Stuart and Cpl. Juan M. Alcántara searched
homes, patrolled streets, and came under fire together. In treacherous war times, it was
Alcántara who pressed on fearlessly, pushing the men in his unit to fight with valor,
Stuart said.
"He was a great man and a hero," he told scores of mourners gathered to honor the fallen
soldier at Alcántara's funeral Mass at the Church of St. Elizabeth in Washington Heights
Friday.
The tearful eulogy appeared to be of little consolation to the soldier's mother, María
Alcántara, who collapsed in the front pew as Army officers announced her son was
posthumously awarded a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and an Army Commendation
Medal for his military service.
When the Rev. Luis Saldaña finished his homily, dozens of relatives and friends
embraced María and the soldier's grandmother, Librada Disla, who arrived Thursday
from the Dominican Republic.
At the end of the ceremony, Cardinal Edward M. Egan, who presided over the Mass,
Alcántara, 22, and three other infantrymen were killed Aug. 6 when an improvised
explosive device detonated as they searched a house in Baqouba, according to Army
officials. Alcántara, who was deployed to Iraq in June 2006, was part of the 1st
Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, based in Fort
Lewis, Wash.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Alcántara moved to Washington Heights with his
family at age 5 or 6.
After graduating from Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School in 2004, he enlisted
in the Army, hoping to earn money to enroll in college after his service, his family said.
His tour of duty in Iraq was extended four months past the date he was to return, June
28 - the day before his daughter, Jaylani Marie, was born.
At the burial in Long Island National Cemetery, Pinelawn, only the sobs of the
deceased soldier's mother broke the silence in the graveyard as grieving onlookers
watched six Army soldiers fold the American flag over the coffin. "My only son,
Mariel," María cried, calling her son by his middle name, as a soldier began to play
"Taps" on his trumpet.
Alcántara's coffin was blessed with holy water and delivered a stirring message to
family members, adding he was "truly and deeply sorry ... for the loss" of Alcántara.
"He was lost in the horror of war, which he fought with nobility," Egan said. "We ask
you to join us in praying that the war ends and all of our young men and women return
safe and sound."
Family members placed white spider mums on Alcántara's coffin and said their final
goodbyes. As Sayonara Lopez, his fiancee, neared the coffin with the couple's 6-weekold daughter cradled in her arms, the baby began to cry. Lopez handed the baby to
another mourner, then draped herself over the silver coffin, pounding fists on it,
screaming "No!" before relatives pulled her away.
G.I. killed in Iraq never saw own child
BY KERRY BURKE and JONATHAN LEMIRE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Saturday, August 11th 2007, 4:00 AM
The son of Maria Alacantara, Juan Alcantara, below, was killed Monday in Iraq by a
bomb blast in a house he was searching.
Juan Alcantara was a 22-year-old immigrant who had hoped to be a cop.
The distraught family of a Washington Heights soldier killed in Baghdad ripped the
White House yesterday for denying his request to see the birth of his child - a daughter he
will now never know.
Cpl. Juan Alcantara, 22, was killed Monday alongside three fellow infantrymen when a
bomb detonated in a home they were searching in Baghdad.
Alcantara had asked repeatedly that he be allowed to travel to New York to be with his
fiancée, Sayanora Lopez, 23, when she gave birth June 29.
But he was turned down and never caught a glimpse of his daughter, Jaylani.
"They wouldn't let him come home, not even for the birth of his daughter," said his
tearful mother, Maria Alcantara, 48. "He was supposed to come home in June but
because of [President] Bush, they extended his stay."
"My life has ended," she said. "I'm never going to recover from this loss."
Juan Alcantara moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic as a child and graduated
from Edward Reynolds West Side High School in Manhattan.
He enlisted in the Army to earn enough money to attend college. He dreamed of
following in his sister's footsteps and joining the NYPD, his family said. "It's been
difficult, we're trying to calm my mother down," said Fredelinda Pena, 25, a rookie cop.
"He had many friends in the Army. He was loved everywhere."
Alcantara was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd
Infantry Division out of Washington State. He was deployed in June 2006. Army
investigators believe the door of the Iraqi house he went to search was booby-trapped,
and the explosion brought down the ceiling.
"Because of Bush's persistence in taking over Iraq, my son is dead," wailed Maria
Alcantara. "This is a war that has no meaning."
jlemire@nydailynews.com
Corporal Reynold Armand
Hometown: Rochester, New York
Age: 21 years old
Died: August 7, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines-2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion-2nd Marine Division-2nd Marine
Expeditionary Force-Camp Lejeune-North Carolina
Incident: His death is currently under investigation.
Related Links:
Marine who died in Iraq recalled fondly at packed service (Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle, Aug. 19, 2007)
Armand, Cpl. Reynold USMC
Irondequoit. Entered into rest Tuesday, August 7, 2007 in Iraq. Predeceased
by his dad Victor R. Velez and grandmother Josefa Rivera. Reynold is
survived by his mom, Miriam Velez, parents mom and dad, Alma and Carl
Armand; sisters, Adeline (Patrick) Kiptoo, and Ajani Armand, niece,
Priscilla Kiptoo, and his grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, aunts, cousins,
godparents and many special friends.
His family will receive friends Thursday 7-9pm and Friday 2-4, 7-9pm at the funeral
home. Friends are invited to meet the family Saturday 10:00am at Iglesia Nuevo Dia
(Wesley United Methodist Church), 2009 Dewey Ave. for his funeral service. Interment
Riverside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to Nuevo
Dia Youth Group, 2009 Dewey Ave., Rochester, NY 14615.
Local Marine serving in Iraq dies
By Erica Bryant and Victoria E. Freile
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Reynold Armand didn’t want to wait until he turned 18 to join the Marines. He persuaded
his adoptive mother to sign papers allowing him to sign up a year early.
Soon after Armand graduated from the East Irondequoit district’s Eastridge High School
in 2004, he started a military career that took him to Virginia, California and North
Carolina. In January, he was sent to Iraq. On Tuesday night, family members were
notified by military personnel that Armand, 21, had died.
Friends and relatives gathered Wednesday on the porch of the Rochester home of
Armand’s parents to mourn a young man they described as shy and respectful. He had
spent a little more than two weeks at home during July on leave. “I’m very proud of
him,” said his father, Carl Armand. “When he was home, he gave no sign of being
afraid.”
Armand didn’t speak much about his experiences in Iraq, according to family members,
saying only that most Iraqi civilians he encountered were very nice. “We used to send
him a lot of candy,” said his mother, Alma Armand. “He would pass it out.” “He loved
the kids,” said Armand’s aunt, Miriam Velez. She and her late husband, Victor Velez,
helped raise Armand.
Velez said Armand wanted to follow in the footsteps of his “second father,” who had
been a Marine and died in 2001. “He looked up to him,” said Velez “He left to make him
proud.” Armand’s family said he was stationed in Fallujah. They did not recall the name
of his unit. The details of his death are still under investigation, and the U.S. Department
of Defense had not released any information.
Friends said Armand loved football, playing video games and spending time with family
and friends. He had two sisters, Adeline Kiptoo and Ajani Armand of Rochester. He was
proud of his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage and loved the New York Yankees. He
grew up in the city and in Irondequoit. His school counselor, Karen Kreuter, remembers
him as a “tall, quiet, sweet young man who had a warm and nice smile.”
Manny Rodriguez, 21, of Rochester met Armand five years ago at New Day Church in
Rochester, where both young men were members of the youth group. “He was such an
amazing all-around person,” Rodriguez said. “He was so easy and comfortable to be
around. He liked people for who they are.”
Fellow youth group member Victor Fermin, 22, of Greece called Armand “the most
respectful guy I ever met. He shows a lot of love to those in his family and his friends.”
Rodriguez said he regularly corresponded with Armand through MySpace.com. He noted
that Armand often shared humorous stories about his daily routine in Iraq, his training
and fellow Marines.
Rodriguez and other members of New Day Church often prayed for Armand’s safety as a
Marine. The church held a special prayer service to wish him well when he left to join the
Marines in 2004. Rodriguez continued to pray for his friend. “The military was always in
his heart,” Rodriguez said. “For him, life was about the military, his friends and his
family.”
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Reynold Armand laid to rest
Family and friends filled Wesley United Methodist Church on Saturday morning for the
funeral of Cpl. Reynold Armand. Outside, more than 100 people gathered to pay respects
to a young man many of them had never met.
Mourners described Cpl. Armand as calm and kind. They recalled his love of football and
the New York Yankees. Of his family and his country. Cpl. Armand left to join the U.S.
Marine Corps shortly after he graduated from Eastridge High School in 2004. He was
sent to Iraq in January and died there on Aug. 7. He was 21 years old.
"He was a good man," said Alejandro Lopez, a friend of Cpl. Armand through New Day
Church, which uses the Wesley United Methodist building for its services. "If he didn't
know you, he would get to know you. He will be dearly missed."
"He was always funny and always smiling," said Jessica Pratts, another church friend.
New Day Pastor Natividad Fermin called on those gathered to work for peace.
"I can imagine that Reynold now has a new uniform," he said. "He is dancing with the
angels in my Father's house."
As Cpl. Armand's family left the church with his coffin, they walked a path lined with at
least 50 American flags. Some were held by veterans, others by people who wanted to
show Cpl. Armand's family how much they appreciated his sacrifice.
"We're veterans and he's our brother," said Michael Skowronski, commander of Veterans
of Foreign Wars Post 16. "We're here to show him respect and honor." James Barlow, an
Army veteran, came wearing a hat embroidered with the words "Veterans for Peace."
"Once you are in the military, you feel all in the military are your brothers and sisters," he
said.
Cpl. Armand so wanted to join the Marines that he persuaded his aunt and adoptive
mother Miriam Velez to sign papers allowing him to enlist before he turned 18. He aimed
to follow in the footsteps of the late Victor Velez, Miriam Velez's husband and Cpl.
Armand's uncle and adoptive father, who had been a Marine.
Cpl. Armand is survived by his parents, Alma and Carl Armand; sisters Adeline Kiptoo
and Ajani Armand; his aunt and adoptive mother, Miriam Velez; and numerous family
members.
He had been assigned to the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II
Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The government says circumstances
of his death are under investigation.
Pfc. Paulomarko U. Pacificador
Hometown: Shirley, New York
Age: 24 years old
Died: August 13, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-5th Battalion-82nd Field Artillery Regiment-4th Brigade Combat
Team-1st Cavalry Division-Fort Bliss-Texas
Incident: Killed when his vehicle was struck by a makeshift bomb in Qayyarah.
Related Links:
Shirley soldier dies doing his duty, family say (Newsday, Aug. 17, 2007)
Paulomarko U. Pacificador
Friday, August 17 2007 @ 01:50 AM EDT
Newsday -- Paulomarko U. Pacificador joined the military to carry on the
legacy of his father and grandfather, both former soldiers in the Philippines.
It was in pursuit of family tradition that Pacificador, 24, of Shirley, lost his life Monday
in Iraq.
The Army private first class was among three soldiers killed when their vehicle was
struck by a roadside bomb in Qayyarah, according to the Department of Defense.
His family Thursday night recalled a vivacious young man, who felt compelled to serve
in the military.
"It was something he had to do traditionwise, because my dad and my dad's dad and my
dad's grandfather were all in the military," said his youngest brother, Rey Patrick
Pacificador, 21. "Since I knew I wasn't going and my other brother wasn't going, he
decided to keep up the tradition."
Paulo Marko Pacificador was born in 1982 in Buguey, Cagayan, in the Philippines. His
family moved to the United States in 1988 and lived in Virginia before moving to
Jamaica, Queens, a few years later. They moved to Shirley about six years ago.
Pacificador attended Hillcrest High School in Queens and graduated from William Floyd
High School, where he spent one year, his family said.
An automotive enthusiast, Pacificador spent umpteen hours working in the garage on his
2003 Toyota Celica, his brother said.
"He did it 24-7," he said. "He modded it out." Pacificador attended Suffolk Community
College, where he studied computer engineering, his family said. He also took online
classes while stationed in Iraq.
Pacificador left for basic training in Oklahoma in January 2006, said his mother, Elsie
Pacificador, 50. He was sent to Iraq less than a year later, on Oct. 30. "There were
balloons all over the place at home, and he says, 'I'm going,' and I said 'I'll miss you,'" she
said. "It was my 50th birthday, and my son was being deployed in Iraq." Pacificador had
hopes of being an officer, his father said.
"My son is full of life. He has lots of ambition," said his father, Jose Pacificador, a former
soldier in the Philippines Air Force. "He has a dream to be somebody to someone."
A member of the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Pacificador returned from Iraq for two weeks in February.
"He was enjoying himself, eating, drinking with his friends," his mother said, adding that
he helped out around the house, fixing a faucet and shower nozzle. Her son was starting
to grow up, she said. Now, she said, she feels only pain. "Oh my Lord, I cannot describe
it," she said. "It hurts so much."
Staff Sergeant Courtney Hollinsworth
Hometown: Yonkers, New York
Age: 26 years old
Died: September 9, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-1st Squadron-4th Cavalry Regiment-4th Brigade Combat Team-1st
Infantry Division-Fort Riley-Kansas
Incident: Killed when insurgents attacked his unit using a makeshift bomb and
grenades.
Related Links:
Fallen GI brought home to Yonkers (White Plains Journal News, N.Y., Sept. 18,
2007)
From the archives: Yonkers soldier left home as a child, became a man (The
Journal News / Lohud.com, N.Y., Sept. 10, 2007)
Wednesday, September 12 2007 @ 08:20 PM EDT
The Journal News -- YONKERS - When the doorbell rang Sunday evening, Hope
Hollinsworth Coaxum figured it was her husband returning home for dinner.
Standing on the other side of the door, however, were two soldiers. Hollinsworth's
thoughts turned immediately to her son, Army Sgt. Courtney Hollinsworth, who was
stationed in Iraq.
"In my head, I was thinking, 'Maybe they are going to tell me he was hurt, or in the
hospital.' But I never, ever thought they were going to tell me he was dead," Hollinsworth
Coaxum said yesterday in the living room of the family's home on Onondago Street in
Yonkers.
The soldiers who sat in the same room Sunday night had few details: Hollinsworth was
killed by a roadside bomb while riding in a truck on patrol in Baghdad early Sunday . No
further information was available yesterday.
Hollinsworth served in Afghanistan in 2002, then participated in the U.S. invasion of Iraq
in 2003 before returning for a second tour in February. He loved life in the Army, his
family said.
"This is what he always wanted to do," Antonio Coaxum said. "He loved to travel. And
the people he met there in the Army - his buddies - they were a family."
Hollinsworth loved Army life so much that when he married this year, it was to a former
soldier who understood the life.
His wife, Stephanie Errebo-Hollinsworth, who has a child by a previous marriage, lives
in Kansas City. The war in Iraq was clearly on Hollinsworth's mind when the family
heard from him three weeks ago. "He was down. He said a couple of guys in his unit
were killed," his mother said.
"And he said that the insurgents had gotten stronger - that they had gotten a lot stronger
than before - and there was more violence than the first time around."
Growing up in Yonkers - where he attended St. Mary's School, School 22 and then
graduated from Saunders Trades and Technical High School - Hollinsworth's earliest
ambitions were to be a soldier, a police officer or a firefighter, his parents recalled.
He fashioned a play rifle from a stick and a belt and built forts in his bedroom, his mother
said. But in other ways Hollinsworth seemed an unlikely warrior, the family members
said. They described him as gentle and a curious soul who, when his mother got a cold,
brewed up a concoction of lemon and orange juices and tea.
"He would say: 'Mom, this will make you feel so much better,'_" she said, "and as a
mother I drank it, even through it wasn't the best-tasting thing." He was a protective big
brother to his younger sister Nicole, now 18, who recently went away to college in
Delaware, the family said, and also had a passion for cooking.
"When he got older, he would go to the supermarket and get vegetables, fry them up and
add his own little things to it," Hollinsworth said. "It was the most disgusting-looking
thing, but it tasted so good." Upon graduating from high school in 1997, the teen tried to
enlist in the Army, but needed his parents' approval because he was not yet 18.
His parents attempted to discourage him, but he was persistent and they relented.
Hollinsworth eventually re-enlisted. The Army transformed Hollinsworth, his parents
recalled, from a teen whose love of food was quite evident to a fit and athletic young
man. Coaxum recalled taking his stepson for a one-mile jog to help get him in shape for
basic training. "We went running and he couldn't keep up. He kept ducking into stores
along the way," Coaxum said. "But when he came home after the Army, I was running
from him."
As the couple spoke about their son yesterday, they were visited by Hollinsworth
Coaxum's sister, Joyce Corpas; her husband, Mark Corpas; and the soldier's grandmother,
Audrey Hollinsworth, who all live in Yonkers. The Corpases were particularly close to
Hollinsworth, often taking him on vacation trips to Florida and Puerto Rico.
The family members struggled with their feelings about the war in Iraq. To varying
degrees, they questioned the purpose of the war. Audrey Hollinsworth was most
adamantly opposed to the war. "I'm always on the computer e-mailing senators about it Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid," she said.
Hollinsworth Coaxum said she could not understand how the nation's focus changed from
Afghanistan, as a response to the attacks of Sept. 11, to Iraq, where a threat posed by
weapons of mass destruction never materialized.
"So many lives have been lost - not just U.S. lives but the lives of children over there.
You get to the point where you don't want these guys to have died in vain," Hollinsworth
Coaxum said. "No, I don't support the war, but I definitely support the soldiers. My
prayers are with them."
Specialist Jonathan Rivadeneira
Hometown: Jackson Heights, New York
Age: 22 years old
Died: September 14, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-6th Squadron-9th U.S. Cavalry-3rd Brigade Combat Team-1st Cavalry
Division-Fort Hood-Texas
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb detonated near his vehicle during combat
operations in Baghdad.
Related Links:
GRIEF STRICKEN Mother weeps for her lost soldier (Queens Courier, N.Y., Sept.
27, 2007)
Slain soldier mourned in Jackson Heights (Newsday, N.Y., Sept. 25, 2007)
Legacy.com Tribute
GRIEF STRICKEN Mother weeps for her lost soldier
BY CHRISTINA SANTUCCI
Thursday, September 27, 2007 10:55 AM EDT
When Martha Clark, the mother of slain Specialist Jonathan Rivadeneira, saw her soldier
son’s flag-draped coffin at the front of the funeral ceremony, she laid her body across the
casket and wept.
For nearly 10 minutes, the Jackson Heights mother stayed prostrate on the casket as loved
ones continued with the memorial proceedings, and finally, her sister Rubiella Ruiz
coaxed Clark back to her seat.
By Clark’s side sat Rivadeneira’s young wife, 21-year-old Heather Nied, who flew from
her home in Chicago with her parents for the funeral. The couple had met during boot
camp - she was in the National Guard and he in the Army - and married in 2005.
Nied called her husband bright and caring, breaking down as she spoke to mourners at the
burial site on Tuesday, September 25. Still, she managed to imbue her talk with hope for
healing.
“Remember to hold onto the good times,” she told her husband’s friends and family, as
well as a handful of mothers of fellow slain, missing, and active soldiers in Iraq.
After Rivadeneira’s death, Clark held a nine-day vigil for her only son at the home of
Maria del Rosario Duran, mother of missing Specialist Alex Jimenez. This summer,
Duran along with other soldier mothers and local supporters founded a support group to
help the women find solace in one another and remember their children.
Rivadeneira, 22, had been an Army medic with aspirations of a career in medicine after
finishing his service. His mother had said previously that he enlisted to pay for his
medical education. He was due back home in November, his family said.
On Friday, September 14, Rivadeneira was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, along with three
other soldiers, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during
combat operations, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) said. The soldiers had been
assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division in Fort Hood, Texas.
During Rivadeneira’s funeral mass, held at St. Joan of Arc on 35th Avenue in Jackson
Heights, where he had attended some elementary school, mourners offered up a Prayer of
the Faithful for the young soldier’s comrades.
“For all the men and women, especially those serving in Iraq, let us pray,” the lectern
read. Outside, dozens of American flags lined the solemn street as the Army’s honor
guard carried his coffin to the hearse.
More than 40 Patriot Guard riders - on motorcycles and cars - led the funeral from the
Church to St. Michael’s Cemetery in Astoria, where Rivadeneira was buried.
Patricia Labanowski, one of the Guard members, drove all the way from Orange County,
N.J. for the service. “You don’t have to be in the military. You do not have to ride a
motorcycle. You just come and pay your respects,” she said.
THE QUEENS COURIER/PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA SANTUCCI
Martha Clark (center) clings to the coffin of her slain son, Spc. Jonathan Rivadeneira of
Jackson Heights, during his funeral, while Rivadeneira's wife, Heather Nied (right), looks
on.
Clark receives a folded flag.
Specialist Chirasak Vidhyarkorn
Hometown: U.S. Queens, New York
Age: 32 years old
Died: September 29, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-2nd Battalion-142nd Field Artillery Regiment-Camp Shelby-Mississippi
Incident: Died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident in
Diwanihay.
Related Links:
JOY TO GRIEF OVER QNS. SOLDIER (New York Post, N.Y., Oct. 3, 2007)
Community mourns fallen soldier (Queens Courier, N.Y., Oct. 11, 2007)
Queens G.I. killed in Iraq just days before return (New York Daily News, N.Y., Oct.
3, 2007)
JOY TO GRIEF OVER QNS. SOLDIER
By LEONARD GREENE
October 3, 2007 -- A GI from Queens, described by his family as an engineering whiz,
died in Iraq just days after being offered a six-figure job back home, his family said
yesterday. Chirasak Vidhyarkorn, 32, had been scheduled to be home this week on a brief
leave, where he was planning to tell family members all about the exciting job offer, said
his aunt, Haipun Kunatee. "He was very talented and a very smart guy," Kunatee said.
Officials said Vidhyarkorn, of Bayside, died of noncombat-related injuries south of
Baghdad. No further details were given.
A pair of solemn soldiers came to Kunatee's Bayside home Saturday and delivered the
news. "That just broke my heart," she said. Vidhyarkorn was born in America, and his
parents are from Thailand, where they still live. Kunatee said Vidhyarkorn joined the
National Guard soon after 9/11 and was deployed for his second tour in Iraq in
December.
Community mourns fallen soldier
BY PETE DAVIS AND CHRISTINA SANTUCCI
Thursday, October 11, 2007 10:14 AM EDT
Family, friends and even some strangers are expected to fill Gerard J. Neufeld Funeral
Home in Elmhurst for three nights beginning Friday, October 12 to honor Bayside soldier
Chirasak Vidhyarkorn, 32, who died on September 29, in Diwaniyah, Iraq while serving
as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Vidhyarkorn’s parents, who live in Thailand, have arrived in New York, but they do not
wish to make any public comments until Friday, according to Chirasak’s aunt Saipun
Kunatee, who also lives in Bayside. “They [Chirasak’s parents] are very sad right now
because they lost their son,” Kunatee said.
Vidhyarkorn, who was the 22nd soldier from Queens to die in Iraq, was promoted to
Sergeant posthumously. One neighbor, who asked not to be named, said that Vidhyarkorn
seemed very close to his Bayside relatives. “He was wonderful, a nice guy,” she said.
Vidhyarkorn was assigned to the Ozark, Arkansas-based Battery C, 2nd Battalion, of the
Arkansas Army National Guard’s 142nd Fire Brigade during his deployment to Tallil,
Iraq. The Department of Defense said his death was non-combat related and is currently
under investigation.
“This soldier was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq,” said Major General William D.
Wofford, the adjutant general of Arkansas. “For that in itself we owe a great debt of
gratitude. He joined our Arkansas soldiers just prior to the unit’s deployment in February
of this year. He became part of a great team and part of our Guard Family.”
Comrades of the fallen soldier from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, 11th Transportation Battalion, Charlie Battery, 2-142nd Field Artillery held a
memorial ceremony at the Post Chapel in Tallil, Iraq on Tuesday, October 2. Staff
Sergeant Matthew Howard and Sergeant Christopher Tolbert, friends of Vidhyarkorn,
both read tributes.
A pamphlet handed out at the service, listed information about Vidhyarkorn’s
distinguished military career, during which he received 10 awards including a Bronze
Star over a seven-year period.
Vidhyarkorn had originally enlisted in the Army in September 2000 as a 92W Water
Purification Specialist. His first deployment to Iraq occurred in January of 2003, and he
made a second trip there in July of that year before going on inactive duty beginning in
December of 2003.
The Bayside soldier returned to active duty in December of 2006, and he was re-deployed
to Iraq in February of this year. Reports said that Vidhyarkorn had plans to return to New
York on leave just six days prior to his death.
“Our thoughts, prayers and support go out to his family at home,” Major General
Wofford said. “I know my words will in no way fill the void this loss creates. I only pray
they find comfort knowing he died in service to his country. He was called to serve, and
he answered that call. He was a true patriot and will not be forgotten.”
Services for Vidhyarkorn will take place at the Gerard J. Neufeld Funeral Home, located
at 88-04 43rd Avenue in Elmhurst, Friday, October 12 through Sunday October 14 from
6-9 p.m. A final service will take place on Monday.
Bayside soldier Chirasak Vidhyarkorn
Major Jeffrey R. Calero
Hometown: Queens Village, New York
Age: 34 years old
Died: October 29, 2007 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Army National Guard-1st Battalion-20th Special Forces Group (Airborne)Massachusetts National Guard-Springfield-Massachusetts
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded while he was on dismounted
patrol in Kajaki.
Related Links:
Bomb kills Queens Village soldier in Afghanistan (Newsday, N.Y., Oct. 31, 2007)
Major Killed in Afghanistan (Queens Courier, N.Y., Nov. 1, 2007)
Major killed in Afghanistan
BY PETE DAVIS pdavis@queenscourier.com AND CHRISTINA SANTUCCI
Thursday, November 1, 2007 5:25 PM EDT
When Raymond Calero saw two soldiers in dress uniform at the door of his Queens
Village home, he thought immediately of his son Jeffrey, a Special-Ops officer serving in
Afghanistan.
“It was horrible and unbelievable,” the stoic father said of the news - that Jeffrey had
been killed on Monday, October 29.
Major Jeffrey R. Calero, 34, who was serving his second stint in Afghanistan with a
Special Operations Task force from Massachusetts, died from injuries he suffered when
an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated during a combat patrol of Kajaki, a city
in southern Afghanistan, military officials said.
“He’s my hero. I am so proud of him. He died for you and me and his country and your
children and my grandchildren,” his mother Roselle said.
Jeffrey is the 23rd soldier from Queens to die in the War on Terror.
Born in Puerto Rico, Jeffrey was raised in Queens, attended St. Francis Preparatory High
School, and went on to study at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. where he
earned a degree in engineering. While in college, he also joined the ROTC program, and
when he graduated in 1995, he was commissioned as an Infantry 2nd Lieutenant in the
U.S. Army.
A dedicated soldier, Jeffrey had received numerous awards for his service, which
included airborne training and service as an Army Ranger before he joined the Special
Forces. After six years of active duty, which culminated in him receiving the coveted
“Green Beret,” - a distinction that members of the Army’s Special Forces unit receive Jeffrey joined the Army’s National Guard.
His father said that Jeffrey had turned down two promotions so that he could stay with his
unit. The Army promoted him posthumously to the rank of Major. “Our thoughts and
prayers are with Major Calero’s family and with his fellow soldiers in Charlie Company,”
said Major General Joseph C. Carter, the Adjutant General of Massachusetts, which is
where his Special Forces group was located.
“[Jeffrey] always had the military in the back of his mind,” Raymond said of his son,
explaining that in his high school yearbook, the slogan underneath Jeffrey’s picture read,
“Live free or die.” “I’m very proud of him. That’s about all I have left - to be proud,”
Raymond said, “If we aren’t proud, then he died in vain.” Raymond said that what stood
out most about his son was his dedication and subtle sense of humor. “[Jeffrey] was a big
quiet guy,” he said, adding that Jeffrey doted on his four nieces and nephews - Richard,
Amelia, Lauren, and Claire.
Now the entire family and Jeffrey’s long-time girlfriend Allison Weiner of Port
Washington will gather for a wake tentatively scheduled for Sunday, November 4 and a
funeral on Monday, November 5. “His biggest love in life was his family,” Raymond
said. Since Monday, a number of soldiers have come to pay their respects to the Calero
family.
Raymond said that he had asked his son’s comrades, “Do you think it is worthwhile
going over there?” He said they told him, “Well, they [terrorists] are not coming over
here.”
THE QUEENS COURIER/PHOTO BY CHRISTINA SANTUCCI
Raymond and Roselle Calero hold a photo of themselves with their son, Major Jeffrey R. Calero,
who was killed in Afghanistan.
Private First Class Dwane A. Covert Jr.
Hometown: Tonawanda, New York
Age: 20 years old
Died: November 3, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-104th Transportation Company-13th Corps Support Sustainment
Battalion-3rd Infantry Division-Fort Benning-Georgia
Incident: Died in a non-combat related incident in Sahra.
Related Links:
Buffalo-area soldier dies in Iraq (Newsday, N.Y., Nov. 6, 2007)
TOWN OF TONAWANDA: Saying goodbye (Tonawanda News, Nov. 14, 2007)
TOWN OF TONAWANDA: Saying goodbye
By Daniel Pye/pyed@gnnewspaper.com
The Tonawanda News
Family and friends of Pfc. Dwane A. Covert Jr. gathered at Amigone Funeral Home
Tuesday to say farewell to the fallen soldier.
Covert, 20, was killed Nov. 3 while cleaning the base in Al-Sahra, Iraq where he was
stationed. He was serving in the 104th Transportation Company, 13th Corps Support
Sustainment Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, based in Fort Benning, Ga. After picking up
what appeared to be a caulking gun with dirt on it, Covert tried to knock the dirt off it
when it exploded, according to his mother, Teresa.
The memorial began with the song “If You’re Reading This” by Tim McGraw, which is
about a letter from a soldier who never made it home. The song bears striking similarities
to Covert’s life, including following in his father’s footsteps of military service and
leaving an unborn daughter behind.
The Rev. Robert Flemming led the service and began with a story about a boy stung by a
bee, whose mother sat him down, gave him some toast with honey and explained that
while bees can hurt, they also produce things that are helpful. That is also the way of the
army, which sometimes causes pain in performing necessary service to our county,
Flemming said.
Brig. Gen. Bill Phillips said that, while he didn’t know Dwane personally, the stories that
he heard from Dwane’s friends, family and fellow soldiers painted a picture of an
exceptional warrior and man.
“On the third of November, Dwane was doing what true soldiers do,” Phillips said. “He
was protecting others.”
Phillips presented Covert’s family with the Good Conduct Medal and the Bronze Star in
honor of his service.
Assemblyman Robin Schimminger, D-Kenmore, presented the family with the
Conspicuous Service Cross on behalf of the New York State Legislature and Gov. Eliot
Spitzer. Schimminger said Covert’s bravery was an example of the highest attainment of
the human spirit.
“On Saturday, Nov. 3, New York State gained a new hero in the pantheon of heroes that
have come from this state for so many generations,” Schimminger said.
Friends then read their own memories of Covert or had Flemming read them if they were
too choked up to speak. In anecdotes that were often funny and sometimes poignant, the
overwhelming theme was Covert’s sense of humor and his ability to make those around
him feel at ease, even when things were tough.
Many remembered times when Covert and his friends would get into and out of trouble,
but Flemming said that the man’s personal relationships and efforts to improve the lives
of others shined through even when he was rambunctious. Entrance into heaven is based
on how a man loves those around him, and that is where Dwane truly shined, Flemming
said.
“Even when all of his friends would want to go out, Dwane would go over to be with his
friend, Bruce, and play Xbox,” Flemming said. “Bruce had muscular dystrophy and, as
his health was failing, it was still more important to Dwane to be by his friend’s side.”
After graduating from Kenmore East High School in 2005, Covert joined the military in
order to provide for his wife, Jenette, son, Cameron, 1, and his unborn daughter, who he
wanted to name Zoe.
As soldiers filed out of the room, they paused to salute the casket that would carry their
fallen brother to his final resting place in Elmlawn Cemetery. Flemming said that people
should think of Dwane and speak of him often to keep that memory alive.
“Next year, when you run into his family, mention Dwane,” Flemming said. “Jenette can
handle that, because that’s how he goes on living.”
Contact reporter Daniel Pye at 693-1000, ext. 158.
A motorcycle procession enters the cemetery where
Pfc. Dwane Covert Jr. was laid to rest on Tuesday in Tonawanda
Doug Benz / The Tonawanda News
Dwane A. Covert, Jr., 20, of Tonawanda, NY, died suddenly
November 3, 2007 in Iraq. He was born in North Tonawanda, NY
on July 30, 1987. Dwane graduated from Kenmore East in 2005 and
was a sales associate with Advance Auto Parts in Tonawanda, NY
(2005-2006) and Cyber Jocks of Amherst, NY (2003-2004). In
October 2006 he joined the U.S. Army Basic Training at Fort
Jackson, SC and had Advanced Individual Training from Ft. Bliss,
TX.
He arrived in Theater on July 8, 2007. Dwane was a Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts member.
He was also a member of SKILS-USA.He is survived by his wife, Jeanette L. (Darnley)
of Tonawanda, NY; they were married March 29, 2007 in Buffalo, NY; son, Cameron J.
Covert of Tonawanda, NY and a child on the way; his parents, Dwane A. and Teresa M.
(nee Johnson) Covert, Sr. of Tonawanda, NY; sister, Jennifer D. (Mark) LaFratta of
Depew, NY; brother, Matthew C. Covert of Niagara Falls, NY; grandparents, Beverly
(late Darrell) Covert of Grand Island, NY and Dellcena Johnson; uncle of Matthew and
Ryan LaFratta of Depew, NY.The family will be present to receive friends on Sunday
and Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the (Tonawanda Chapel) AMIGONE FUNERAL
HOME, INC., 2600 Sheridan Drive (at Parker Blvd.), where funeral services will be held
on Tuesday at 11:30 AM with full Military Honors. Burial will be in Elmlawn Cemetery,
Tonawanda, NY. Flowers are gratefully declined. If desired, memorials may be made to
the Cameron J. Covert Trust Fund c/o the Bank of Akron.Online register book at
www.Amigone.com.
Published in the Greater Niagara Newspapers from 11/10/2007 - 11/12/2007.
COVERT-Pfc. Dwane A. Jr. Suddenly, November 3, 2007; beloved husband of Jeanette
L. (nee Darnley) Covert; dearest father of Cameron J. Covert; devoted son of Dwane A.
and Teresa M. (nee Johnson) Covert Sr.; loving brother of Jennifer D. (Mark) LaFratta
and Matthew C. Covert; grandson of Beverly (late Darrell) Covert and Dellcena Johnson;
uncle of Matthew and Ryan LaFratta. The Family will be present to receive friends on
Sunday and Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the, (Tonawanda Chapel), AMIGONE
FUNERAL HOME INC., 2600 Sheridan Drive, (at Parker Blvd.), where Funeral Services
will be held on Tuesday at 11:30 AM. Flowers gratefully declined. If desired memorials
may be made to the Cameron J. Covert Trust Fund C/O the Bank of Akron. Online
register book at www.Amigone.com.
Staff Sergeant John D. Linde
Hometown: New York, New York
Age: 30 years old
Died: November 5, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion-1st Brigade Combat Team-10th
Mountain Division (Light Infantry)-Fort Drum-New York
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb detonated near his Humvee during combat
operations in Tal Al-Dahab.
Related Links:
In Death as in Life, Service to Freedom (The Washington Post, Nov. 20, 2007)
Sergeant from Union City was killed in Iraq (The Jersey Journal, Nov. 18, 2007)
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
In Death as in Life, Service to Freedom
At Burial, Family and Friends Mourn Army Staff Sergeant Killed in Iraq
By Mark Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 20, 2007; Page B03
On one side of the grave sat a wreath and a bouquet of flowers; on the other, the family of
Army Staff Sgt. John D. Linde. In between was Linde's final resting place, where he was
buried yesterday at Arlington National Cemetary. Linde, 30, died Nov. 5 in Tal AlDahab, Iraq. He was wounded when a makeshift explosive device detonated near his
Humvee during combat, according to the Department of Defense. Two weeks later, more
than 130 mourners piled out of nearly four-dozen cars to honor Linde, following his flagdraped coffin to his gravesite.
"He served even to the point of death so that others could be free," said Maj. Gary
Studniewski, a chaplain.
During the service, Linde's friends and family stood as seven rifles cracked off three
shots toward a sky blanketed with gray clouds. Folded flags were handed to his wife,
Vilma C. Linde, and his father, John W. Linde. As a flag was handed to Vilma Linde,
hands rose throughout the crowd, bringing tissues to faces. She accepted a tissue to wipe
her face.
Although the Department of Defense listed Linde as being from New York his wife told
the New York Daily News that he was born in Secaucus, N.J. The two met at Union Hill
High School in Union City, N.J., before marrying in April 1998.
"He was going to make the Army his career," she told the Daily News. "So we tried to
spend as much time together as we could. I wasn't supposed to see him until August."
He died alongside three other soldiers: Staff Sgt. Carletta S. Davis, 34, of Anchorage;
Sgt. Derek T. Stenroos, 24, of North Pole, Alaska; and Pfc. Adam J. Muller, 21, of
Underhill, Vt.
Linde, Stenroos and Muller were assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion,
1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), based at Fort Drum,
N.Y. Davis was assigned to the 10th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat
Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Fort Drum.
Linde is the 397th military member killed in Iraq to be buried at Arlington, and like many
others, he was laid to rest in Section 60. He enlisted in the Army in October 1996 and
was previously deployed in Iraq from August 2005 to July 2006. He also served in
Bosnia from February to September 2000.
During his military career, he received awards and decorations including the Purple
Heart, Bronze Star Medal and Army Commendation Medal.
"He was an avid outdoorsman," his father told the Jersey Journal of Jersey City last week.
He was a "real good husband and father, and he was obviously well liked. Literally
hundreds of people have called me these last few days."
He is also survived by daughters Victoria and Erica.
Chaplain Gary Studniewski offers a prayer at the funeral for Army Staff Sgt. John D.
Linde. An explosive device had detonated near Linde's Humvee in Iraq.
Photo Credit: Kevin Clark -- The Washington Post
LINDE, STAFF SGT. JOHN D., of Union City on Monday 11/5/07. Beloved husband of
Vilma (nee Cepeda), Cherished son of John W. & step-mother, Annemarie Linde,
Devoted father of Victoria, Dear brother of Regina, Jenifer & Robert Linde, Dear uncle
of several nieces & nephews. Relatives, Friends and members of Union Hill High School
Class of '95m are respectfully invited to attend the funeral on SATURDAY 11/17/07 at
9:00 am from the LEBER FUNERAL HOME, Kennedy Blvd. at 20th Street, Union City,
NJ. Thence to Holy Family R.C.Church, where at 10:00 am a Funeral Mass will be
offered. Interment, Arlington Nat'l Cemetery, VA. The family will receive friends on
Friday from 24 & 7-9 PM. FOR THOSE DESIRING, donations may be sent to: T.A.P.S.
at 910, 17th St., N.W. Suite 800, Washington, DC 20006
Published in The Jersey Journal from 11/14/2007 - 11/15/2007.
Sergeant Daniel J. Shaw
Hometown: West Seneca, New York
Age: 23 years old
Died: November 5, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-1st Battalion-9th Infantry Regiment-2nd Brigade Combat Team-2nd
Infantry Division-Fort Carson-Colorado
Incident: His death is under investigation.
Related Links:
Death of local soldier is difficult to accept (The Buffalo News, Dec. 6, 2007)
Funeral Held for Army Sgt. Daniel Shaw (WGRZ-TV, N.Y., Nov. 13, 2007)
Legacy.com Tribute
Death of local soldier is difficult to accept
I met Dan Shaw at West Seneca West High School in 2001. He was a junior and I was a
teacher’s aide. Tall, with bright blue eyes and a jovial fearless smirk of a smile, Dan wore
a Mohawk haircut waxed high and stiff. He towered over his classmates. I admired his
courage in how he dressed, how he completed assignments, asked questions and looked
people in the eye.
On TV, we watched 9/11 until our school went into lock-down. The attack shattered
years of peace. Several kids asked me about combat and military service. Near that
Veterans Day, we passed around a bullet doctors removed from my body in Vietnam. The
class was attentive and quiet as I answered questions and expressed the message that
war’s consequences are somber, serious and sometimes fatal.
On Veterans Day 2007, West Seneca West students assembled to honor Sgt. Daniel J.
Shaw, killed in Iraq on Nov. 5.
Dan’s funeral was a pageant, attended by hundreds, filled with flags, motorcycles, music,
military uniforms, photographers and television cameras. Priests, friends, fellow soldiers
and an Army general spoke at the church.
My heart felt like red meat shoved through a grinder, twisted and shredded. My brain was
pressed, trapped in a mental vise. Tears rolled down my face as mourning mixed with
guilt. Could I have prevented Dan from joining? Am I responsible? Did I mislead,
describe war as attractive, exciting, perhaps challenging? Maybe I forced him to follow
old footsteps? Did touching that bullet spark some desire, open the door to a rollercoaster ride, wild and irresistible to young people?
After the church service, we followed his hearse to Holy Cross Cemetery. The
Lackawanna windmills, in their efforts to provide power for illumination, stopped their
feeble spinning and paused as we passed. The air was cool. The sky was light blue and
clear. At noon, the basilica’s bells tolled and their clamor drowned the sounds of taps
squeezed through a soldier’s trumpet. A breeze began to blow and I felt Daniel’s force
moving among us, forever playful. Was he trying to lighten our spirits or send us a
message?
The American flags that surrounded us rose in patriotic union, waving and snapping
together. One popped the back of my head twice, then slapped my face, Dan’s rough
reminder of the human costs of war.
The bright sun blazed and blinded my eyes. Even through sunglasses, I had to squint and
shield my eyes, my hand held in humble salute. I couldn’t see what was happening, but I
didn’t need to — we’ve watched this scene too many times before.
The honor guard folded the flag and presented it to his parents. Relatives and friends laid
long-stemmed roses on the coffin and shuffled back toward the hearse, eyes bright red,
shoulders slumped. Afterward, we filed by, touched his casket, paused and remembered
something pleasant about Dan. We promised to keep him alive by retelling his stories.
Today, I will tell others like Dan who are considering military service that whenever we
point a weapon of violence at another person’s head and pull the trigger, we blow our
own brains out. Our impulsive urge for revenge becomes stronger than our desire for
justice. If we remain silent about this truth, we perpetuate the cycle of violence. If I could
have persuaded him of this back in 2001, Dan would be here today. I’m sorry I didn’t.
Funeral Held for Army Sgt. Daniel Shaw
Family and friends gathered to mourn the sudden death of U.S. Army Pfc. Daniel Shaw.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart R.C. Church
in Orchard Park.
The 23-year-old was killed in an explosion in Iraq. He was in his second tour of duty.
2 On Your Side Photojournalist Dave Harrington was at the mass. See his full report by
clicking on the video link in the upper right hand corner of your screen.
A funeral was also held on the same day for PVT. Dwane Covert Jr. He recently died in a
non-combat related explosion in Iraq. The Town of Tonawanda native leaves behind a
pregnant wife and two-year-old son.
Sgt. Daniel J. Shaw
Sergeant Steven C. Ganczewski
Hometown: Niagara Falls, New York
Age: 22 years old
Died: November 16, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-3rd Battalion-75th Ranger Regiment-Fort Benning-Georgia
Incident: Died of wounds suffered from a combat-related incident in Balad.
Related Links:
Man with local ties dies in Iraq (Cheboygan Daily Tribune, Michl, Nov. 26, 2007)
Army Ranger from Niagara Falls, 22, killed in Iraq combat (The Buffalo News, Nov.
19, 2007)
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Steven C. Ganczewski, 22, of Niagara Falls, N.Y. Sgt. Ganczewski was
assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Nov. 16,
2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained from a combat-related incident.
The Buffalo News -- Military service was the path Sgt. Steven C. Ganczewski chose
early in life, and his determination never wavered, even when his grades at Niagara Falls
High School would have easily gained him admission to a good college. “He got a lot of
[resistance] from guidance counselors when he said he was joining the Army,” said his
father, Mark. “They didn’t understand why someone with his potential would join the
Army.”
Ganczewski wanted to be an Army Ranger, and it was in that role that he died. The
Pentagon announced Sunday that the 22- year-old husband and father was killed during
combat operations “All we want to know is what happened, and why,” Ganczewski said.
Those answers must wait. Sunday night, as his parents displayed photos of their son in
the living room of their Niagara Falls home, the focus was on a good boy who grew into
an even better man in the Army. Mark Ganczewski, a veteran of the Vietnam War era,
said the Army gave him additional details of his son’s death but asked that they not be
made public until an investigation is completed.
“We’re very proud of what he did, very proud of what he accomplished,” said Mark
Ganczewski. Added his wife, Maria, “He was successful at whatever he did. He had a
good head.” Steven Ganczewski’s aspirations took shape when he was a boy, his father
said. The elder Ganczewski spent 16 years in the Air Force, including a stint at Kirtland
Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M., where he met and married Maria 23 years ago.
When he left the service and returned to Niagara Falls, Ganczewski passed along his
fascination with aircraft to his son, taking him to the air shows at the Niagara Falls air
base. During one of those visits, Steve Ganczewski saw a pamphlet for the Civil Air
Patrol and, at age 12, he joined. By the time he left five years later, he was cadet
commander. “We knew pretty much right away that [the military] was what he wanted to
do,” said high school friend A.J. Gelose. “He always had that drive. That was his dream.”
When he was 15 or 16, he attended a rescue course sponsored by the Civil Air Patrol.
That, his father said, is when the military dream narrowed to the dream of being an Army
Ranger. That also was about the time of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Mark
Ganczewski remembers his son watching the coverage and saying, “Dad, we have to stop
these people.”
His parents spoke of their son’s self-sufficiency. He worked at the Como Restaurant in
the Falls so he could afford a car, then arranged for he and his buddies to pay for a stretch
Hummer limousine to take them to the prom. At Niagara Falls High, Steve Ganczewski
played football and ran track. At home, he shared his father’s love for classic rock,
NASCAR, the Bills and the Sabres.
When it came time to leave high school, Maria Ganczewski said she really did not want
her older son to join, “but that’s what he wanted to do.” Mark Ganczewski said his son
understood the risk. “He said, ‘Dad, what am I supposed to do, take something safe?’ ”
In the Army, Steven Ganczewski served several tours of duty overseas. While stationed
at Fort Benning, Ga., he met Rachel, also in the Army. They married a year ago in
October, and Steven adopted Rachel’s 2- year-old daughter, Makayla. The couple
purchased a house in Columbus, Ga., and Maria said her son worked diligently to make it
a home for his new family.
“He made a house for his dogs outside,” she said. Inside, he was partial to the family
iguana, Leroy. “They were just here in September,” Mark Ganczewski said, adding that
his son told him he was more confident than ever that he had chosen the right path. “He
loved [being a soldier],” his father said. “He said, ‘This is what I want to do.’ He thought
he was making a difference there.”
Aside from his parents, his wife and his daughter, Steven Ganczewski also is survived by
his brother, Christopher, a senior at Niagara Falls High School who just interviewed for
admission to the Air Force Academy.
Army Sgt. Steven C. Ganczewski was killed in action on 11/16/07.
GANCZEWSKI-Sgt. Steven C. U.S. Army Age 22, formerly of Niagara Falls, NY. U.S.
Army Ranger died in Iraq on November 16, 2007. Husband of SPC 4. Rachel N.
(Robydek) Ganczewski U.S. Army; father of Makayla Ganczewski; son of Mark J. and
Maria (DelMar) Ganczewski of Niagara Falls; brother of Christopher D. Ganczewski of
Niagara Falls; grandson of Nilo and Ofelia DelMar, Kathleen (late Walter) Ganczewski;
also survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins. Visitation Saturday and Sunday 2-9
PM at M.J. COLUCCI & SON NIAGARA FUNERAL CHAPEL, 2730 Military Road,
Niagara Falls. Funeral Mass Monday, November 26th at 10 AM in St. Stanislaus Kostka
Church, 2437 Niagara St. Niagara Falls, NY. Interment with Military Honors in Sacred
Heart Cemetery, Cheboygan, MI. Donations to Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Breast
Cancer Research.
Published in the Buffalo News from 11/24/2007 - 11/25/2007.
SGT Steven C. Ganczewski, US Army, 22, of Columbus, GA, formerly of Niagara Falls,
NY, died on Friday, November 16, 2007 in Iraq. Born in Albuquerque, NM, he was the
son of Mark J. and Maria C. (DelMar) Ganczewski. On October 23, 2006, he married
Spec 4 Rachel N. (Robydek) Ganczewski, US Army, in Ft. Benning, GA. Steven came to
Niagara Falls as a child with his family in 1987. He attended local schools and graduated
from Niagara Falls High School in 2003, where he was a member of the Wrestling, Cross
Country and Football teams. While attending school, he was also a member of the First
Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol at the Niagara Falls Air Base from 1998 until
2003. At the present time, Steven was serving in the U.S. Army Rangers as a Sergeant
with the Third Ranger Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Ft. Benning, GA.
He was currently on his fifth tour of duty, four of which were in Iraq and one in
Afghanistan. Steven was awarded the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a Meritorious
Service Medal posthumously. He was also the recipient of the Accommodation Medal,
Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense
Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non
Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon,
Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Parachute
Badge, Ranger Tab and a Weapons Qualification Expert. Prior to his enlistment, Steven
was employed at the Como Restaurant in Niagara Falls, NY.
Steven a member of the Sons of the American Legion F.F. Cadille Post Squadron #1664,
the American Legion F.F. Cadille Post #1664 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post
#917 all in Niagara Falls, NY. He was an avid fan of the Buffalo Bills, the Buffalo Sabres
and NASCAR Racing. Steven also enjoyed paint balling and recently acquired the hobby
of woodworking. In addition to his wife and parents, Steven is survived by one daughter,
Makayla Ganczewski of Columbus, GA; one brother, Christopher D. Ganczewski of
Niagara Falls, NY; his maternal grandparents, Nilo and Ofelia DelMar of La Chorrera,
Republic of Panama; his paternal grandparents Kathleen (late Walter) Ganczewski; his
mother-in-law, Michelle Radle (Larry Seib) of Port Huron, MI; his father-in-law, Michael
Robydek (Peggy Blumke) of Cheboygan, MI; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Visitation will be on Saturday and Sunday from 2 - 9 PM at the M.J. COLUCCI and SON
NIAGARA FUNERAL CHAPEL, 2730 MILITARY ROAD, NIAGARA FALLS, NY. A
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, November 26th at 10 AM in St.
Stanislaus Kostka Church, 2437 Niagara Street, Niagara Falls, NY, with Rev. Slawomir
Siok, SAC officiating. Everyone please assemble at church. Interment will be held with
Military Honors in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Cheboygan, MI. Donations in SGT
Ganczewski's memory may be made to Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Breast Cancer
Research, PO Box 631, Buffalo, NY 14240-0631.
Published in the Greater Niagara Newspapers from 11/21/2007 - 11/23/2007.
BC-NY--Soldier Killed-Ganczewski, 2nd Ld-Writethru ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ Sgt.
Steven Ganczewski was only 14 years old when he decided he wanted to be an Army
Ranger, and _ like nearly everything else he attempted _ he was successful, family
members said Sunday. Ganczewski, 22, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., died Nov. 16 in Balad,
Iraq, according to a defense department statement. In his four years serving in the
military, Ganczewski performed five tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, his
mother, Maria Ganczewski said. Each tour lasted about three months and he usually had
just six months in between to spend with his family, she said.
This tour was to be his last before he planned to return home to train new Army Rangers.
"He wanted to be a Ranger and he did it," she said. "Being a Ranger is not an easy thing
to do. Anything he wanted to do he did it. He was so determined or lucky ... he completed
everything he wanted to do." According to the Department of Defense statement, he died
of "wounds suffered from a combat-related incident." Maria Ganczewski said military
officials have told her little about her son's death, but she was informed that he fell from a
helicopter on his way to a mission. "I'm not ready to lose him," his mother said. "He was
great family to me, to his father, to his brother."
His parents provided him with signed permission so he could join the military when he
was only 17. His father, Mark Ganczewski, said the family has received enormous
support from other military families, but he and his wife are taking the loss day by day.
"My mind is a mess right now ... I want him back," he said. He was survived by his wife
Rachel, 22, and his daughter, Makayla, 2. Both live in Columbus, Ga. He was born in
Albuquerque, N.M. He graduated from Niagara Falls high school in 2003. He received a
number of awards and decorations, including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the
National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. He was posthumously
awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Bronze Star. His family expects him to
receive the Purple Heart, which is given to those who die or are wounded in battle. His
death is under investigation, the military said. He was a fire team leader assigned to the
3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga.
Private Isaac T. Cortes
Hometown: Bronx, New York
Age: 26 years old
Died: November 27, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army-1st Squadron-71st Cavalry Regiment-1st Brigade Combat Team-10th
Mountain Division (Light Infantry)-Fort Drum-New York
Incident: Killed when his vehicle hit a makeshift bomb in Amerli.
Related Links:
From the Bronx to Iraq to a Return Home, Too Soon (New York Times, Dec. 5,
2007) About New York
From the Bronx to Iraq to a Return Home, Too Soon
Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times
A memorial to Pvt. Isaac T. Cortes on Metropolitan Oval in Parkchester in the Bronx. Private
Cortes, who grew up in Parkchester, was killed last week in Iraq.
By Jim Dwyer
Published: December 5, 2007
All afternoon, leaning into the wind, they trudged down Castle Hill Avenue in the Bronx,
dressed in funeral parlor clothes. A car rolled up, and an older woman slowly unfolded
from the front passenger seat, bracing her fingertips against the doorframe, then pulling
herself out deliberately, waving off a hand extended from the sidewalk. A young woman
carried an infant seat out of a minivan. Soldiers from an Army honor guard perfectly
creased and practiced at their duties had been among the first to arrive.
The remains of Pvt. Isaac T. Cortes, 26, a member of the 10th Mountain Division who
died in a bombing last week in Iraq, were back in the Bronx yesterday for a wake at the
Castle Hill Funeral Home. This morning, he will be buried after a Mass at St. Raymond’s
Catholic Church. So far, at least 59 men and women from New York City have died in
Iraq.
Private Cortes grew up in Parkchester, one of the sprawling apartment developments built
by Metropolitan Life in the 1930s and ’40s, and attended Christopher Columbus High
School. Reina Rivera, 20, a cousin, said Isaac made return visits special after her family
had moved from the city to Milwaukee.
“When we came back, even though he was older, he stood over at Grandma’s house with
us and played cards,” she said. “He roughhoused my little brothers.”
After graduating, he got work as a ride operator at Playland Amusement Park in Rye, one
in a series of jobs. “Like every ordinary young man, he was looking for things to do,”
said Irma Cruz, his maternal grandmother.
The family helped. “I brought him to the head of caddies at Scarsdale Golf Club, and he
worked there a while,” said Steve Toro, an uncle. “He seemed to be fine with it.”
Private Cortes’s mother, Emily Toro, who lives in Queens, has worked as a party
promoter and now helps care for her grandchildren. His father, Isais Cortes, is on the
maintenance staff at Parkchester. His brother, Chris, younger by one year, has two
children.
Several years ago, Isaac Cortes met a young woman who had a child. “He helped raise
her up,” said Wanda Toro, an aunt. “To him, she was no different than if she was his own
daughter.” Last year, he found work closer to home. “He got himself on as a security
guard at Yankee Stadium,” said Uncle Steve. Asked about his salary at the stadium, his
grandmother laughed. “He really enjoyed the games,” Ms. Cruz said.
Even so, he had hopes that were larger than a string of seasonal jobs, said Donna
Vasquez, a friend. “We spoke about this, that he wanted to be a police officer or go into
the military,” Ms. Vasquez said. “He wanted to be a person of respect and dignity, to not
have a street life. He never had any problems like that.” Around the end of the baseball
season last year, he enlisted in the Army and went to Fort Benning, Ga., for basic
training.
“My mom sat us down and told us, and we all got panicked,” Cousin Reina said. “I spoke
to him — no questions, no ifs, no buts.” Back home this summer, his next move was
clear: He would be one of the 30,000 additional soldiers that the Bush administration was
sending to Iraq in hopes of quelling the violence. First, though, he visited his
grandmother in the Soundview section of the Bronx. “I didn’t want him to go,” she said.
“I didn’t try to tell him not to. He went to make a better life. And to defend his country.”
He left in August. “He said it was the best decision he ever made,” Aunt Wanda said. “He
spoke to his mother on Thanksgiving Day. He said it was really crazy, that he was very
tired.
Five days later , Private Cortes and Specialist Benjamin Garrison, 25, of Houston, were
driving through the village of Amerli, 100 miles north of Baghdad. In July, one of the
deadliest bombings of the war had killed between 150 and 155 people there. A roadside
bomb killed Private Cortes and Specialist Garrison. “Three and a half months he was
there,” Aunt Wanda said.
A few blocks away, on Metropolitan Oval in Parkchester, a crew of workers were putting
the final touches on the holiday decorations and sound system. The Cortes family
apartment overlooks the oval. Every year of his life, from the time he believed in flying
reindeer to the days when he fell full-face in love, Isaac Cortes had seen those
decorations and heard that music.
Now, in the middle of the oval, near the giant wooden toy castles and the vinyl Santa
Claus dolls bobbing and shuddering in the wind, was a memorial wreath above a portrait
of Pvt. Isaac T. Cortes: son, brother, grandson and more. E-mail: dwyer@nytimes.com