2006
Cpl. Andrew J. Kemple
Hometown: Cambridge, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 23 years old
Died: February 12, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort
Campbell, Ky.
Incident: Killed when his Humvee came under small arms fire during combat operations in Tikrit.
Cpl. Andrew J. Kemple
A 23-year-old Cambridge, Minn., soldier has been killed fighting in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced
today.
Cpl. Andrew J. Kemple died in Tikrit on Sunday, when his Humvee came under small arms fire during combat
operations. Kemple was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st
Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky. Kemple is the 31st military member with Minnesota ties killed in Iraq and the
second in 2006.
Published in Pioneer Press on February 15, 2006
Andrew J. Kemple
Kemple, Andrew J. age 23. Drew gave his life bravely on February 12, 2006 in Tikrit, Iraq, trying to help bring freedom
and security to the people there. He is the beloved son of John Kemple and Deirdre Ostlund, brother of Andrea
Kemple, stepson of Richard Ostlund. He is also survived by his girlfriend, Stephanie Greskovics; her daughter, Kalin
Rose; and his grandparents, Beatrice Grow, Orval Grow, Richard Nygard, Patricia Finch, and Herb Frank; along with
many loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, counsins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Sam
Kemple. Funeral Service Thursday, February 23, 2006, 11 AM, Zion Lutheran Church 1601-4th Ave S. Anoka (763-4214656), Visitation Wednesday 4-8 PM at Methven-Taylor Funeral Home, 850 East Main St., and one hour prior to
service at the church. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Methven-Taylor Funeral Home Anoka Chapel 763421-9393
Published in Star Tribune from February 15 to February 21, 2006
Army Cpl. Andrew J. Kemple
Died February 12, 2006 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom
23, of Cambridge, Minn.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade
Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed Feb. 12 when his Humvee came
under small-arms fire during combat operations in Tikrit, Iraq.
Slain Minn. soldier joined military after 9/11/01 attacks
CAMBRIDGE, Minn. - A soldier from Minnesota who decided to join the military after the 9-11
terrorist attacks was killed by small arms fire in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced.
Cpl. Andrew Kemple, 23, of Cambridge, who was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division out of
Fort Campbell, Ky., died Sunday when his Humvee was attacked in Tikrit, the department said
Wednesday. He is the 35th person with strong Minnesota ties to have died in connection with the
war in Iraq.
Kemple wanted to join the Army after the attacks, but his mom was scared for him, and he agreed
to think it over for awhile. When he enlisted in 2003, he had her support, his mother, Deirdre
Ostlund, told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis.
“(Enlisting) was a serious decision; we thought about it for a long time,” Ostlund said. “We
supported him 100 percent because he felt so strongly about it.” Kemple was a 2001 graduate of
Cambridge-Isanti High School. Principal Craig Paulson told the newspaper he couldn’t talk about
Kemple and that the man’s family wanted to be the ones to share information with reporters.
—Associated Press
Minn. soldier killed in Iraq believe in his mission
FOREST LAKE, Minn. — Cpl. Andrew Kemple, the Minnesota soldier killed last weekend in Iraq,
believed in his mission there, his family said Thursday.
Kemple, 23, of Cambridge, died Sunday when his Humvee was attacked in the city of Tikrit. His
mother, Deirdre Ostlund, said Kemple was a gunner on the vehicle and was shot in the neck.
“He believed he was bringing help and freedom and protection to other people, and so he did not
die in vain,” Ostlund said at a family home here with Kemple’s sister, Andrea Kemple, at her side.
“His death meant something, and he is a hero.” Kemple, who was assigned to the 101st Airborne
Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky., is the 35th person with strong Minnesota ties to have died in
connection with the war in Iraq.
The Army said Kemple enlisted in 2003 and was assigned to the division’s 3rd Battalion, 187th
Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. There have been 123 soldiers from Fort Campbell
killed in Iraq, including eight since the beginning of February. The sprawling Army post straddles
the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
Family members described Kemple as the sensitive type, recalling that he was teased as a
youngster for his red hair. They said he liked to have fun and loved his job in the military. Kemple
graduated from Cambridge-Isanti High School in 2001.
Andrea Kemple, of St. Louis Park, said her brother began talking about joining the military after the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “He just felt so obligated to do something. Finally, he did enlist
and he was the happiest - he was so happy about it. He was so excited,” she said.
About a year ago, Ostlund moved to Brazil, where she retired with her husband, Kemple’s
stepfather, Richard Ostlund. She sent her son Brazilian chocolate, his favorite, and checked on
him through e-mail and video messages via webcam.
She returned to Minnesota Jan. 12 to visit family members and friends, and her son was scheduled
to come for a visit in either June or July.
Ostlund said her son was wearing a helmet and body armor when he was hit by small arms fire
while his unit was looking for weapons. He received the aid of a minister after he was wounded,
“so we know he did not die alone. He did not die without comfort,” she said.
Besides his mother, sister and stepfather, Kemple is survived by his father, John Kemple, of
Motley. The family planned to bury Kemple in Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
Associated Press
Lance Cpl. Robert G. Posivio III
Hometown: Sherburn, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 22 years old
Died: May 23, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Pendleton, Calif.
Incident: Killed while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar Province.
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert G. Posivio III
Died May 23, 2006 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom
22, of Sherburn, Minn.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed May 23 while conducting combat
operations against enemy forces in Karmah, Iraq. Also killed was Pfc. Steven W. Freund.
Soldier is second brother to die in family
SHERBURN, Minn. — A Marine from the southern Minnesota town of Sherburn was killed by a
roadside bomb in Iraq, a spokesman for the family said Wednesday.
Lance Cpl. Robert Posivio III died Tuesday while conducting combat operations against enemy
forces in the Anbar province, said Tom Hawkins, Posivio’s godfather.
Hawkins said Posivio was a passenger in a high mobility multipurpose vehicle that was hit by an
improvised explosive device.
Posivio, 22, the son of Robert Posivio Jr. and Patti Posivio of rural Sherburn, had been recently
sent back into combat after being injured in a mortar attack on April 13. His unit came under fire in
Al Anbar Province near Fallujah and suffered two deaths in the earlier attack.
About three weeks after that attack, Posivio’s mother told the Sentinel of Fairmont that her son had
suffered a severe concussion and shrapnel wounds. She said one of the Marines who was killed
then, Lance Cpl. Stephen Perez, died while saving Posivio’s life.
A photo posted on a Marine Corps Web site shows Posivio kneeling before a memorial made from
a helmet resting on a rifle with a set of identification tags and a pair of combat boots during a
memorial service for Perez on April 28 at Camp Fallujah in Iraq.
Patti Posivio told the Sentinel her son was sent back into the field on April 30, and that the family
didn’t expect they’d hear back from him until the end of May.
She said Posivio joined the Marines four years ago right out of high school, and that he was in his
third tour of duty in Iraq. He was due to be discharged July 28.
The loss is the second in two years for the Posivio family. Robert Posivio’s younger brother,
Daniel, 19, was killed in a car accident in July 2004 while on leave from the U.S. Navy.
Sherburn is about 15 miles west of Fairmont.
Posivio was the 37th person with Minnesota ties to die in connection with the war in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
— The Associated Press
Capt. Nathanael J. Doring
Hometown: Apple Valley, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 31 years old
Died: May 27, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron-169, Marine Aircraft Group-39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing,
1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Incident: Killed in a non-hostile helicopter accident in Taqaddum.
Capt. Nathanael J. Doring
Apple Valley Marine pilot in Iraq dies
BY FREDERICK MELO
Pioneer Press
A 31-year-old Apple Valley Marine pilot died Tuesday from injuries he suffered in a helicopter accident in Iraq, the
Marine Corps said today.
Capt. Nathanael J. Doring, 31, and another Marine from Kansas were critically injured in a Saturday crash the Marine
Corps said was not combat-related. Both men died Tuesday.
Doring had been assigned to a light-attack helicopter squadron with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Camp
Pendleton, Calif.
Published in Pioneer Press on May 31, 2006
Nathanael James Doring
Doring, Captain Nathanael James May 30th, 1975 – May 27th, 2006. Nathanael James Doring
was born on May 30th, 1975 in Kansas City, Missouri. His parents are James and Elizabeth
Doring. Nate was baptized as a child of God by his own father, James, on May 30th, 1975. In
1978 he moved with his family to his home in Apple Valley, Minnesota where he spent
childhood and teenage years. Nate attended Berea Lutheran Day School for grades 1-8, and on
May 31st, 1989 became a confirmed member of Berea Lutheran Church. As a child Nate
enjoyed fishing, camping and reading, but he developed a passion for soccer and aviation. He
spent his high school years at Apple Valley Senior High, and graduated in June, 1993. Nate's mathematical
inclinations led him to the Milwaukee School of Engineering where he studied Electrical Engineering and graduated
with honors in 1998, but his love of flying ultimately led him to join the Marine Corps. On October 11th, 2001 Nate
earned his wings, after which he trained to become a Cobra helicopter pilot and was eventually given the call sign
"Chatters". Shortly before Nate's first deployment to Iraq, he married Lisa Marie Christianson on February 2nd, 2002.
Besides being a pilot and a husband, he was also a loving father to Alex Doring, born January 5th, 1999. Nate served
our country in the Marine Corp for seven years. He trained throughout the United States and was deployed once to
Okinawa, Japan, and twice to Iraq. When Lisa was deployed earlier this year, he extended his second deployment in
Iraq to be there with her. Capt. Nathanael James Doring was called home to his Heavenly Father on May 27th, 2006
when his helicopter crashed into Lake Habbaniyah in Iraq. He is survived by his wife Lisa, son Alex, parents James and
Elizabeth, sister Cara and brother-in-law Frank, brother Gabe and his fiancée Brooke, niece Arianna, nephews Nathan
and Nelson and a multitude of additional loving family members and friends. (The Marine Corps reported the official
date of Nate's death as May 29, 2006, the date when his body was recovered.) A memorial service will be held in
Captain Doring's honor at Berea Lutheran Church, 9308 Rich Valley Boulevard, Inver Grove Heights, at 3 p.m. on
Saturday, June 10. The interment at Arlington Cemetery is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, June 14 at 2 pm.
Published in Star Tribune on June 6, 2006
Nathanael James Doring
Captain, United States Marine Corps
NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense
No. 489-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2006
Media Contact: Marine Corps Public Affairs - (703) 614-4309 Public/Industry(703)428-0711
DoD Identifies Marine Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Corporal Richard A. Bennett, 25, of Girard, Kansas
Captain Nathanael J. Doring, 31, of Apple Valley, Minnesota
Both died May 30, 2006, following a non-hostile helicopter accident near Al
Taqaddum, Iraq, on May 27, 2006. Both were assigned to Marine Light/Attack
Helicopter Squadron-169, Marine Aircraft Group-39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing,
I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.
Media with questions about these Marines can call the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Public Affairs Office at (858) 577-6000.
1 June 2006:
Brigadier General Duane D. Thiessen pins the Air Medal on Captain
Nathanael J.
Doring in this June 21, 2004 photo.
US Marine Corps Photo
After college, Nathanael Doring followed his dreams of flying and landed in the
Marines, where the 31-year-old Apple Valley man met the second love of his life:
his wife. The two served as captains in Iraq, and in April, he extended his second
tour of duty so he could return to the U.S. this summer, shortly before she would.
Nathanael Doring, who flew attack helicopters with the Marines, died this past
weekend when his AH-1 Cobra crashed into a deep lake about 45 miles west of
Baghdad.
Searchers recovered his body from the cockpit Monday, along with that of a 25year-old corporal, and their families were notified of their deaths. The accident
happened during a routine maintenance test flight near an airbase and was not
combat related, according to the military.
The cause of the crash is still undetermined, Doring's family said. He was the
32nd Minnesota military member to die in the Iraq war.
Cara Skoglund said her younger brother looked forward to returning to the
United States in August and planned to spend time with Alexander, his 7-year-old
son from a previous relationship. The boy, who lives in Maryland with his
mother, learned Tuesday of Doring's death.
Skoglund and other family members remembered Doring as an independent
spirit who loved the camaraderie of the military. Soccer and aviation were his
greatest passions, which he took to early. While still a student at Apple Valley
High School, he completed ground classes in aviation and played soccer or served
as a referee.
He later attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering, graduating with honors
in electrical engineering in the late 1990s before joining the U.S. Marine Corps.
"Everything he did was his own path," said Jim Doring, Nathanael Doring's
father, standing with Doring's older sister and younger brother Wednesday
outside the family's Apple Valley home.
Marine Capt. Lisa Christenson Doring will accompany her husband's casket
back to the U.S. this week, where he will be buried in Arlington National
Cemetery. A memorial service has been tentatively scheduled for June 10 at the
Berea Lutheran Church in Inver Grove Heights.
The two married three years ago in a ceremony at the Marine Corps base at
Camp Pendleton, Calif.
During the opening salvos of the war, Doring's squadron launched operations
from Kuwait into Iraq. He was among the 24 pilots of Helicopter Squadron-369
who received air medals in June 2004 for their extensive missions in combat
zones.
The twin-engine AH-1W Super Cobra, the latest version of an aircraft that first
saw service in Vietnam, is used by the Marines for attacking armor, armed escort
and reconnaissance, among other duties.
Doring's uncle, Rich Gamble of Inver Grove Heights, said he recalled a young
man who was quiet and devoted.
"He pursued a dream to fly and was able to accomplish that," said Gamble. "He
was dedicated to that and dedicated to what he was doing."
Gamble said Doring believed the U.S. involvement in Iraq was a good thing.
"From his perspective, I know he believed they were helping the people in Iraq,"
he said.
Doring had already completed two tours of duty in Iraq and his unit had
returned to Camp Pendleton in April, his uncle said. But because his wife still was
serving in Iraq, he decided to stay in the Middle East.
Since his unit was stateside, Doring was assigned to act as a liaison between the
military and defense contractors operating unmanned aerial vehicles, which are
widely used in Iraq for surveillance and reconnaissance.
"He was flying these other missions for flight time, basically," Gamble said. "It
wasn't part of his regular duties."
Doring's helicopter crashed Saturday into the deep water of a large lake near the
Al Taqaddum airbase, the military said. Because special equipment had to be
moved to the scene to search for and recover the helicopter, it wasn't until
Monday, two days after the crash that Doring's death was confirmed.
2 June 2006:
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA -- The body of a California-based Marine
helicopter pilot who grew up in Minnesota was recovered earlier this week in
Iraq.
Captain Nathanael J. Doring, a 31-year-old Apple Valley, Minnesota, native was
on a maintenance test flight in his AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter from the 3rd
Marine Aircraft Wing when it went down Saturday in the Anbar province. Two
Marines were killed, the military said.
Officials have said hostile fire was not suspected as the cause of the crash. The
Department of Defense confirmed the identities of the victims on Thursday.
Doring's uncle, Rich Gamble of Inver Grove Heights, said the family was told
Saturday.
The pilot's parents and sister still live in the Twin Cities area, Gamble said.
He said Doring had served two tours of combat duty in Iraq. His unit returned to
the United States in April, but he decided to extend his tour in a noncombat role
until his wife, Lisa, also a Marine officer, finished her tour in the fall.
"The impression that the family was given was that it was not a combat mission
in any way," Gamble said.
Doring's wife will accompany his body back to the United States, but no date has
been set, Gamble said. Doring will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, he
said.
The couple lived on a horse farm in California when they weren't deployed, he
said. The Defense Department said Doring was based at Camp Pendleton.
Gamble said that as a young man, Doring was very focused. "He did what he did
with a purpose," he said. "Things did not happened to him, necessarily. He
decided where he went."
He said Doring joined the Marines right out of college with the intention of
becoming a pilot. "I don't think it started out as a helicopter pilot, he just wanted
to fly."
He said Doring had a young son from his first marriage who lived with his
mother on the East Coast.
Marine With a Purpose Honored
Helicopter Pilot Served 2 Tours in Iraq Before Fatal Crash
By Arianne Aryanpur
Courtesy of the Washington Post
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Marine Captain Nathanael J. Doring was a career military man. After serving
two tours of duty in Iraq, he was scheduled to come home in April, his family
said.
But he requested to stay longer to be close to his wife, Lisa, a Marine captain also
stationed in Iraq. Her tour of duty was to conclude in the fall, and until then,
Doring was to work in a noncombat capacity.
Lisa Doring holds a red rose during the funeral for her husband and
fellow
Marine, Captain Nathanael J. Doring,
at Arlington National Cemetery. The highly skilled helicopter pilot died after a
crash near
Taqaddum, Iraq.
The highly skilled helicopter pilot from Apple Valley, Minn., died May 30, 2006,
of injuries sustained in a crash near Taqaddum on May 27, 2006. He was 31.
Corporal Richard A. Bennett, 25, of Girard, Kansas, also died in the crash. Both
were assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft
Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based at
Camp Pendleton, California.
Yesterday, Doring's wife and about 70 other mourners gathered under an
overcast sky to honor him as he was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
He was the 243rd person to die supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom to be
interred there.
A military band escorted the mourners, which included many uniformed
Marines, to the grassy plot in Section 60, Grave Site 8398, where Doring's white
headstone was placed.
Lieutenant Ron Nordan, a Navy Chaplain, delivered the sermon, and mourners
bowed their heads as he offered a prayer. When the bugler played taps, the
Marines stood at attention and saluted. Then, the U.S. flag that draped Doring's
coffin was folded and given to his wife as she wiped away tears. She hugged it to
her chest, then placed it on her lap, holding a single red rose over it.
Doring's uncle, Rich Gamble, told the Associated Press last month that his
nephew was determined and focused.
"He did what he did with a purpose," Gamble said. "Things did not happen to
him, necessarily. He decided where he went."
Doring graduated from Apple Valley High School in 1993 and received a degree
in electrical engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He joined
the Marines immediately after graduating from college, according to news
reports.
Doring was gregarious and proud to serve his country, recalled Corporal Martin
R. Harris, who met him in 2004. "The first time I talked to him, we talked for two
hours," Harris said.
Doring was among 24 pilots in his squadron to be awarded Air Medals in 2004,
granted for missions completed in a combat zone during Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
Doring was an AH-1W Super Cobra pilot. He flew helicopters over troops at high
speeds, providing fire support.
The aircraft are "kind of like the F-18s of the helicopter world," Harris said,
adding that Doring knew everything about them.
"He was confident in his stance and confident in the abilities of himself and his
unit together," he said.
The Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle group that attends some military services
to pay respect to the fallen, created an online forum for Doring last month.
Rider Bruce L. Clements wrote: "Rest in peace Marine. . . . You'll be
remembered as an American Hero always."
Isabella, Kylie, Emily and Rebecca Baldeosingh, at the site of their family friend:
Nathanael J. Doring
their daddy/husband, Juan C. Baldeosingh, was
week in Section 60.
Photo By Gretchen Shoemaker, August 2009
DORING, NATHANAEL JAMES
CAPT US MARINE CORPS
DATE OF BIRTH: 05/30/1975
DATE OF DEATH: 05/30/2006
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8398
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Webmaster: Michael Robert Patterson
buried this
Posted: 2 June 2006 Updated: 15 June 2006 Updated: 12 July 2006 Updated: 21 August 2006 Updated: 8 July 2009
Spec. Brent W. Koch
Hometown: Morton, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 22 years old
Died: June 16, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry Combined Arms Battalion, Hutchinson, Minn.
Incident: Killed when an makeshift bomb exploded near his Humvee in Diwaniyah.
Brent W. Koch
Koch, Brent W. Age 22 Of Morton Died on Friday, June 16, 2006 in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, while serving his
country. Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 26, 2006 at 10:00 am at Cedar Mountain High
School in Morgan with burial in the Elm Creek Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Sunday from 2:00 until
8:00 pm at the Nelson-Martin Funeral Service in Redwood Falls and will continue at the school one hour
prior to the service on Monday. A community prayer service will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2006 at 7:00
pm at the National Guard Armory in Redwood Falls and everyone is welcome. In lieu of flowers, family
prefers memorials. Nelson-Martin Funeral Service is handling arrangements. Brent William Koch was born
on October 7, 1983, in St. James, Minnesota, the son of Kevin and Valerie (Loft) Koch. He resided with his
family in Franklin, and was confirmed in May, 1999 with his best friend, Keith. He attended Cedar Mountain
High School, graduating in 2002. Brent furthered his education at Southwest Technical College in Jackson,
graduating in June, 2005. Brent did farming for Ed Gaasch, and also did construction for BKC Construction
for three years. He has served in the National Guard from February, 2003 until June, 2006. Brent played
trumpet in the Cedar Mountain High School Band. He was the guy who played "Taps" at the Memorial Day
observance. His hobbies included riding dirt bike, snowmobiling, fishing, hunting and trapping. Brent is
survived by his father; Kevin Koch of Franklin, his mother; Valerie Koch of St. Louis Park, a step-sister
Lindsay Gaasch of St. Louis Park, grandparents; Lowell and Rose Adelle Koch of St. James, William and
Barbara Loft of Trego, WI; aunts and uncles; Brian Koch of Rapid City, SD, Terry Koch and wife, Lori of
St. James, Becky Sandmeyer and husband, Mark of St. James, Angela Loft of Stillwater, MN, William Loft
of Somerset, WI, great grandmother; Erma Fritz of St. Paul, a special friends Ed Gaasch of Morton, Deb
Holmes of Olivia, and numerous cousins and friends. Brent was preceded in death by his great grandparents,
and two cousins; Tylor and Nicholas Loft.
Spc. Brent W. Koch, 22, of Morton, Minnesota, died Friday in Iraq when an explosive device detonated hear
his military vehicle. (Photo courtesy of Minnesota National Guard)
National Guard member from Morton killed in Iraq
June 19, 2006
St. Paul, Minn. — (AP) - A National Guard member from Morton was killed in Iraq when an explosive
device detonated near his military vehicle, the Minnesota National Guard announced Sunday.
Spc. Brent W. Koch, 22, died Friday in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, the Guard said. Two other Minnesota soldiers
were injured in the explosion.
"(Koch) was the kind of kid that you would want with you if you were over there fighting a war. He was
committed and mature beyond his years," Cedar Mountain School District Superintendent Bob Tews said.
Koch graduated in 2002 from Cedar Mountain High School, where he played football and basketball, Tews
said.
In Morton, members of the local American Legion post put up American flags along the streets of the
southwestern Minnesota town in Koch's honor.
"He was a very good kid and he wanted to go into the military and serve for our country," said Dave Mude,
as he took a break from hanging flags from utility poles.
Koch enlisted in the Guard four years ago and was serving as a combat engineer. His unit's job was
providing convoy security.
Maj. Kevin Olson, a spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard, said Koch was unmarried and had no
children.
Koch's family members were not taking calls from the media on Sunday but issued a statement through the
Guard.
"We are very grateful for the overwhelming amount of support from our family, friends and the community,"
they said in a statement read by Lt. Col. Kevin Gutknecht. "Thank you for your thoughts and prayers at this
time."
Olson did not release the names of the injured soldiers. He said one received shrapnel wounds to the upper
body, and the other received shrapnel wounds to the lower body. They were being transferred to a U.S.
military hospital in Germany.
Koch was assigned to the Minnesota Army National Guard's Company E, 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry
Combined Arms Battalion in Redwood Falls. Another 79 members of the company are due to remain in Iraq
through next spring.
His unit was part of a deployment in March of 2,600 other Minnesota Guard members for a 12-month tour of
duty, the Minnesota Guard's largest deployment since World War II.
"We are focusing our efforts on helping the family members cope through this difficult time," Maj. Gen.
Larry Shellito, Minnesota's adjutant general, said in a statement. "Additionally, our thoughts and prayers are
with those who serve with this honorable soldier."
Jeff Gay, a family support coordinator for the Guard in Redwood Falls, was there the day Koch enlisted and
praised him as a dependable soldier.
"Specialist Koch was fired up about coming into the Guard, it seemed like," Gay said. "Very well liked
among the other soldiers. Anytime anything needed to be done, extra duty, he was always there to help us."
Koch is the 39th person with Minnesota ties to die in connection with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. He
was the fourth Minnesota National Guard fatality in Iraq, Olson said. Funeral arrangements were pending.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Spec. Kyle R. Miller
Hometown: Willmar, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 19 years old
Died: June 29, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army National Guard, Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment, Army National
Guard, New Ulm, Minn.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his convoy in Mosul.
Parents remember a thoughtful son
by Tim Post, Minnesota Public Radio
July 7, 2006
Kyle Miller's parents say their son loved to spend time with family, whether that was golfing, bowling or
working on old cars with his dad. But now the Millers are planning a funeral for their 19-year old son.
Miller, a specialist in the Minnesota National Guard, was killedWillmar, Minn. — Kyle Miller's parents say
their son was one of the most caring people they knew. During his three months in Iraq, he sent home plenty
of letters and cards. One of the last things he sent to Randy Miller was a Father's Day card.
"Happy Fathers Day, Dad," he wrote. "I hope everything is going good for you and mom. Everything is still
going good over here, same stuff every day. I'm glad you've almost got the basement done. Take some time
off and enjoy yourself. Go to a movie with mom or take the motorcycle out for a spin. Just enjoy yourself
and have fun. Love, Kyle."
Candy Miller, Kyle's stepmother, said even though he was in a hot and dangerous war zone, Kyle seemed
more concerned with how his family was doing back home.
I asked him, 'You don't regret this?' He said 'No, absolutely not.' He didn't have any regrets about his
decision.
- Candy Miller
"He was always worried his dad was working too hard here," Candy Miller said. "We built a new house and
finished out the basement, and he didn't like it that his dad was always working so hard."
That concern for family extended to Miller's phone calls. Even though his family worried constantly and
prayed for Kyle's safety every day, during each call, he tried to put them at ease.
"He'd call and I'd say, 'Honey, are you OK? You sound a little depressed.' And he'd say, 'I'm just tired,' And
he just said 'Mom don't worry, I'm OK, I'm fine,'" Candy Miller said.
Kyle Miller spent much of his childhood in Bird Island, Minnesota with his birth mother, but then moved to
Willmar in his teens to live with his father and stepmother.
Miller signed up for the National Guard when he was in high school. After his time in Iraq, he hoped to turn
his passion for working on cars into a career.
The Millers were told that Kyle died on June 29. He was a passenger in a vehicle that was hit by a roadside
bomb.
"He wanted to be over there, he really thought he was doing something important. I asked him, 'You don't
regret this?' He said, 'No, absolutely not.' He didn't have any regrets about his decision," Candy Miller said.
Kyle Miller is the second soldier from the 625th Engineering Battalion killed in Iraq. Morton native Brent
Koch died June 16 after being hit by a roadside bomb.
Spec. Troy C. Linden
Hometown: Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 22 years old
Died: July 8, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Mine Protected Vehicle (RG-31) during combat
operations in Ramadi.
http://turbine.legacy.com/legacy/MT/Tribute.aspx?TributePersonID=1869
7225&download=&TributeDownload=&Cobrand=LEGACY
Cpl Troy Carlin Linden May 6th, 2010
Born:
Jan. 29, 1984 in Becker County, Minnesota
Died: July 8, 2006 in AR Ramadi, Iraq
Cpl. Troy C. Linden of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota was a 2002 graduate of Detroit Lakes High
School where he acted in several school plays. Growing up he loved playing with Legos and
spending time with family and friends. He liked music and was teaching himself to play the
guitar. He also enjoyed tinkering with cars and snowmobiles, and four-wheeling in the mud.
Troy enlisted in the Army in Billings, Montana where he had moved after graduating, but he
was a Minnesotan through and through and a humble all-American who was proud to serve
his country. He was looking forward to having a dog and coming home and teaching him how
to swim, play, taking him for a ride in the Jeep. He was born the son of Keith Brian Linden
and Merry Lee McLeod. He died at age 22 when an improvised explosive device detonated
near his mine protected vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. Also killed were
Staff Sgt. Omar D. Flores, Sgt. Al’Kaila T. Floyd and Cpl. Joseph P. Micks.
Army
54th Engineer Battalion
130th Engineer Brigade
Warner Barracks
Bamberg, Germany
Burial is at Egelund Cemetery in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Spec. Qixing Lee
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 20 years old
Died: August 27, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Tex.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near hisM2A3 Bradley Vehicle during combat operations in
Taji.
Qixing Hwjhuam Lee
Lee, Qixing Hwjhuam Age 20 Of Minneapolis SPC Qixing Lee was killed in action on 8/27/06 while
serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. In light of his distinguished
combat performance and his over 2 years of honorable service in the United States Army, he will
be awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat, and awarded the Bronze Star with V
Device for his conspicuous actions in the line of duty. Survived by his parents, Chedrua and Jianeu; sisters, Xiaoying,
Xiaomei, and Ciashia; brothers, Liangqing and Mouwang; paternal grandparent, Maiyang and maternal grandparent,
Dia. The family would like to invite the public to say goodbye and farewell for our nation's hero at the interment
Monday 11 AM assembly area #4 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Memorial services Saturday, 9/9/06 with
Hmong service from 10 AM to 12 noon. Distinguished and honored guests to pay their respects from 1-2:30 PM.
English service 3-4 PM and concluding with Hmong service 5-8 PM Sunday 9/10/06 with Hmong service from 11 AM
to 1:30 PM and English service from 2:30 - 4 PM. Further English memorial service Monday 9/11/06 at 9 AM. All at
Washburn-McReavy Swanson Chapel 612-529-9691 1600 Lowry at Irving Ave. N.
Published in Pioneer Press from September 3 to September 7, 2006
Sgt. Joshua R. Hanson
Hometown: Dent, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 27 years old
Died: August 30, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army National Guard, 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry, Army National Guard, Detroit Lakes, Minn.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations in Khaldiyah.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2006
Army Sgt. Joshua R. Hanson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Joshua R. Hanson, 27, of West St. Paul, Minn.
Sgt. Hanson was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry, Minnesota National Guard, Detroit Lakes,
Minn.; died Aug. 30 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle
during combat operations, in Khaldea, Iraq.
Rural Minnesota town mourns death of National Guard soldier.
SOLDIER: Staff Sgt. Joshua Hanson of Dent, Minn., was the 43rd soldier with ties to Minnesota to be killed
in Iraq or Afghanistan. Six other soldiers were injured in the same attack.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT LAKES, Minn. - Residents of nearby Dent are remembering Staff Sgt. Joshua Robert Hanson, a
National Guard soldier who died when a roadside bomb ripped through his Humvee in Iraq.
Hanson died Wednesday near Khalidiyah, the National Guard said Friday. The attack wounded six other
National Guard soldiers from Minnesota, though they were able to return to duty.
"Josh was a wonderful and loving son and a great friend," said Lt. Col. Kevin Gutknecht, reading from a
family statement. "He was proud to serve his country as duty called. We can't express enough how proud
we are that he was willing to lay down his life for all of us. He and his comrades are real heroes."
Hanson's parents and brother attended a news conference at the armory here but didn't speak. Hanson
was assigned to Company A, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, which is based in Detroit
Lakes.
Dave Knopf, whose son, Justin Knopf, 24, was injured in the explosion, described Hanson as quiet and
soft spoken.
"But I'm sure he was very determined, and he was there to do his job," he said. "The last time I saw him I
gave him a hug, so that was the last time I'll have that opportunity."
Hanson's death affects the entire community because nearly everyone knows someone who's serving in
Iraq, Knopf said. Dent, a town of just 200 people, is about 20 miles south of Detroit Lakes.
He was the 43rd person with Minnesota ties to have died in connection with the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Also Thursday, the Pentagon reported the death of 20-year-old Spc. Qixing Lee of
Minneapolis, who was part of the 4th Infantry Division, based in Fort Hood, Texas. He died Sunday, also
after an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle.
Hanson joined the National Guard between his junior and senior years at Pelican Rapids High School.
He was a team leader responsible for two or three other soldiers and would have been in charge of the
Humvee in which he was riding, a 3-ton armored Humvee with bulletproof glass, military officials said.
Jessica Fahje, a high school classmate and friend of Hanson, said she last saw him around Christmas at a
going-away party. She kept in e-mail contact with him while he was in Iraq and said he constantly told
her not to worry about him.
"We were going to see him in October. He was going to come home for a little leave," she said. "He didn't
know his dates, yet. We were going to plan a little hayride for him and get all the classmates together,
but we're going to be getting together for a different reason now."
Army Sgt. Joshua R. Hanson was killed in action on 08/30/06.
Part III: A funeral and a birth
By Sharon Cohen - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Dec 24, 2008 11:14:21 EST
Part III: A funeral
You have been s
http://w w w .navy
The Ferris wheel at the Minnesota State Fair offered a bird’s-eye view of an end-of-summer, middle
American ritual. From the top, you could see the places where 4-H kids showed off their prized hogs and
cows, where farmers ogled gleaming tractors, and where throngs lined up for food-of-every-kind-on-a-stick.
EDITOR’S NOTE: TROOPS AND FAMILIES AT HOME COUNTED THE MANY MILESTONES
MISSED AND MADE. THIRD OF A SEVEN-PART SERIES ON THE LONGEST DEPLOYMENT
OF THE IRAQ WAR.
Robert and Kathy Hanson had walked the midway, had seen the sights. And they were on their way home,
in their car, when the cell phone buzzed.
It was the military, and what the officer would not say spoke volumes about their son, Josh, on duty in Iraq.
Something was terribly wrong.
Robert knew if Josh had just been injured he’d get details on the phone. But the caller had news that had to
be delivered in person.
Gripping the wheel, Robert didn’t know whether to hurry home, or slow down and delay the inevitable.
Finally, the Hansons reached their house deep in the woods outside Dent, Minn. They didn’t have to wait
long.
Within minutes, two officers in dress uniforms knocked on the door.
It was their sad duty to report the death of Staff Sgt. Joshua Robert Hanson.
On Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006, several hundred people filed into the gym of Pelican Rapids High School for
Hanson’s funeral, paying tribute to him with prayer and song.
Classmates, teachers, friends and family remembered the high school linebacker whose football team won
the state’s 1997 AA championship. The duck, pheasant and deer hunter who loved the outdoors and tubing
on the Otter Tail River. The Tae Kwon Do black belt who collected a row of trophies. The happy-go-lucky
guy who was always smiling and got a kick out of making up funny words. “Truly an unfairity,” was a favorite
phrase.
At the end, there was a rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
“ ‘Twas grace that brought us safe thus far,” sang Josh’s younger brother, Jake. “And grace will lead us
home.”
‘WHAT A GREAT NATION I COME FROM’
The funerals mounted — eventually, there would be 21, in all — as did the happy occasions the soldiers
missed during what’s been called the longest deployment of the Iraq war.
Proms and graduations. Recitals and soccer tournaments. Holiday dinners and anniversaries. Small events,
maybe, in normal times but magnified to those closest in a time of war.
As fall approached, Sgt. 1st Class Janelle Johnson scheduled home leave so she could take her 5-year-old
daughter, Elizabeth, to her first day of kindergarten.
It was a two-week chance to be a mother again. She shopped with Elizabeth for a pink jumper, curled her
daughter’s hair and watched her step aboard the yellow school bus. She marveled that her 18-month-old
daughter, Emily, who had no hair and blue eyes when she last saw her, had blossomed into a blondehaired, green-eyed, walking, talking toddler.
Her husband, Chad, was doing a great job.
But in the blink of an eye, the two weeks were over. Before Janelle could begin to settle in, she was back in
Iraq — and, strangely, at a school that made her think of the kindergarten back home.
Her unit was delivering soccer balls and backpacks stuffed with school supplies, another mission designed
to give an Iraqi community a helping hand.
The school was little more than a collection of desks in a mud building surrounded by a dirt yard and a
fence; children who couldn’t attend because they didn’t own shoes watched forlornly outside as the soldiers
arrived with their offerings.
Later, when Janelle received a photo scrapbook of Elizabeth’s first months at school, she thought about
what she had seen and she was grateful for her daughter’s fortunate life at Knight Elementary School in
Randall, Minn. She sent a thank you note to Elizabeth’s teacher with a special gift: an American flag that
had flown over her base.
“As the days got long ... there was always one thing that would brighten my day, seeing the American flag,”
she wrote. “Every morning it was raised and reminded me of what a great nation I come from. ... I hope this
flag also brings you and your class the joy and contentment it has brought me.”
Staff Sgt. Kevin M. Witte
Hometown: Beardsley, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 27 years old
Died: October 20, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder,
Germany
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle during a combat patrol in Baghdad.
Kevin Michael Witte
Staff Sergeant, United States Army
NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense
No. 1066-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2006
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte, 27, of Beardsley, Minnesota, died on October 20,
2006, in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive
device detonated near his vehicle during a combat patrol.
Witte was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
For further information related to this release, contact the 1st Armored Division
public affairs office at 0611-705-4859.
1 November 2006:
Governor Tim Pawlenty Tuesday ordered that the United States flag and the
State of Minnesota flag be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol from sunrise
until sunset on Wednesday, November 1, 2006, in honor and remembrance of
Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte who died a hero while protecting his country and
fighting for freedom on Friday, October 20, 2006, in Iraq.
Funeral services with full military honors for Staff Sergeant Witte will be held
at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Beardsley, Minnesota.
The following is the text of the Governor’s official proclamation:
Whereas: Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte was born on July 23, 1979, in
Wheaton, Minnesota, to Marvin L. and Kathy L. (Smith) Witte; and
Whereas: Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte graduated from Clinton-GracevilleBeardsley High School in 1997; and
Whereas: Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte joined the United States Army on June
12, 1998, and completed Basic Training at Fort Benning Georgia. He served
with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Armored Division, based in Baumholder, Germany; and
Whereas: In 2001, Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte married Melissa Taylor in
North Carolina. They have one son, Nathan Isaac;
Whereas: Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte was a devoted soldier who loved
serving his country and did so with great pride; and
Whereas: Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte died a hero while protecting his
country and fighting for freedom on Friday, October 20, 2006, in Baghdad,
Iraq; and
Whereas: Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte received many military awards
including the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army
Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Valorous Unit Award, the
Army Good Conduct Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the National Defense
Service Medal with Star Device, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on
Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,
the Army Service Ribbon, on the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat
Infantryman’s Badge, the Expert Infantry Badge, the Military Free-fall
Parachutist’s Badge Basic, and the Army Parachutist’s Badge. He was
posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart;
Whereas: Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte is preceded in death by his father,
Marvin L. Witte; grandmother, Dorothy Sykora; and father-in-law, Preston
Taylor; and
Whereas: Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte is survived by his loving wife, Melissa;
son, Nathan; mother, Kathy Blake; stepmother, Rhonda Witte; sisters, Jessica
(Fred) Weigel, Stephanie Witte and fiancé Jeremy Burkhart, and Denise Witte;
brothers, Jake (Summer) Witte, Dustin Witte, and Sean Witte; mother-in-law,
Laurel Taylor; brothers-in-law, Isaac Taylor and Saul Taylor; grandparents,
Francis Sykora, Richard and Carol Smith, and Wes (Kitty) Herberg; and many
other nieces, nephews, friends, and family who loved him dearly and will miss
him greatly; and
Whereas: A funeral with full military honors for Staff Sergeant Kevin M. Witte
will be held on Wednesday, November 1, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s
Catholic Church in Beardsley, Minnesota; and
Whereas: Interment will be on November 13, 2006 in the Arlington National
Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia; and
Whereas: The State of Minnesota thanks the family of Staff Sergeant Kevin M.
Witte for his dedicated service to the people of this country and we extend our
thoughts and prayers to his family.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, TIM PAWLENTY, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby
order all U.S. and Minnesota flags be flown at half-staff at the Capitol Complex,
including state buildings, monuments and grounds in proximity to and
including the Minnesota State Capitol, from sunrise until sunset, on Wednesday,
November 1, 2006, in honor and remembrance of Staff Sergeant Kevin M.
Witte.
November 1, 2006:
Beardsley, Minnesota: A funeral with full military honors will be held
Wednesday for a western Minnesota soldier killed in Iraq.
Staff Sereant Kevin Witte was killed October 20, 2006, when a bomb exploded
near his vehicle while he was on combat patrol.
Witte was 27. His funeral will be held this afternoon at 2 p.m. St. Mary's
Catholic Church in Beardsley.
Witte will be buried November 13, 2006, in Arlington National Cemetery.
Governor Tim Pawlenty has ordered the U.S. and Minnesota flags at the state
Capitol flown at half-staff Wednesday in honor of Witte.
Posted: 1 November 2006 Updated: 17 November 2006 Updated: 1 January 2007
Photo Courtesy of Holly, January 2007
Kevin M. Witte
My son-in-law, SSG Kevin M Witte, was killed in action in Iraq on October 20, 2006. He was
27 years old. This was his 3rd deployment in this war, and he was due home to his wife and
18 month old son in just a few weeks. Kevin was so looking forward to getting home, as he
had missed so much of his little boy's life. This boy was the light of his parents' life, and it was
such a joy to see them all together. Kevin was also the northern star of my daughter's life,
and these are the two main reasons that I loved my son-in-law. He was a hard worker and
also knew how to have a good time. He was an exemplary soldier who loved his job, believed
in what he was doing, and did it well. Losing Kevin has been the hardest thing that has ever
happened to me. In a world where things didnt always go right, Kevin was someone you could
always count on for help, good advice, or even just a great smile. Things will never be the
same without him here. The world has lost one of its finest in Kevin and all the other fallen
heroes. The finest tribute I can pay to him is to try and live my life in the same way, trying to
make my small world, and therefore the greater world, a better place by my actions. As your
baby son says, 'Peace Out, Boy'. Love you, Kevin, from your family.
--Laurel Taylor, Laurel, MD (submitted on May 6, 2007)
Spec. Bryan T. McDonough
Hometown: Maplewood, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 22 years old
Died: December 2, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, Crookston, Minn.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Humvee during security operations in Fallujah.
Bryan T. McDonough was 18 when the U.S. invaded Iraq in spring 2003. After the invasion, he decided to join the
Minnesota National Guard. "When the first casualties came in, he decided they were not the right guys to be fighting
the war, they should be young guys like him, so he joined," said his father, Tom. McDonough, 22, of Maplewood,
Minn., was killed Dec. 2 by a roadside bomb in Fallujah. He was a 2002 high school graduate and was assigned to
Crookston. "Somebody has to do it, but nobody wants it to be their son," Tom McDonough said. "I was one of those
guys. But he felt it was his duty. He's much braver than I am." McDonough loved lacrosse, snowboarding, hockey,
sitting in a boat, country music and having fun with his many friends. He got hired at Andersen Windows. "This is
definitely not the most glorious place in the world, but there's no other place I would rather be. Putting everything
on the line to defend my country is something I wanted to do and am proud to be here," he wrote in a recent online
entry from Iraq. He also is survived by his mother, Renee.
Bryan T. McDonough
McDonough, Bryan T. Sergeant, Army, MN National Guard Bronze Star Medal Recipient Age 22, of
Maplewood, while serving his country in Iraq. Preceded in death by his grandfather, Francis
McDonough. Loving son of Tom and Renee McDonough; loving brother of Shannon, Katie, and
Kevin; grandson of Dean and Barbara Svendsen and Angela (Bob) Robson; great-grandson of
Margaret Koenig. Also survived by many other family and friends. Bryan will always be
remembered as our hero. He was an avid outdoorsman, and his smile and sense of humor will
never be forgotten. Mass of Christian Burial at THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. PAUL, 239 Selby Ave on Tuesday, December 12
at 10AM. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Visitation at MUELLER-BIES FUNERAL HOME -ROSEVILLE, 2130
N Dale at County Rd B from 3-8PM Monday. Memorials preferred to The Bryan McDonough Benefit Fund, c/o TCF
Bank, established to serve the needs of wounded soldiers returning from Iraq. MUELLER-BIES 651-487-2550 We will
love you and miss you always. Published in Pioneer Press on December 10, 2006
Their son believed in Iraq mission, and they do, too
The McDonoughs of Maplewood, like scores of local families whose sons and daughters have died in Iraq,
are now making their voices heard in Washington.
By Kevin Diaz, Star Tribune Last update: September 22, 2007 - 10:55 PM
WASHINGTON - Before he was deployed to Iraq in 2005, as anti-war sentiment spread around the country,
Minnesota National Guardsman Bryan McDonough asked his parents to promise that they would never
"disrespect" his decision to serve.
Last week, 10 months after their 22-year-old son was killed near Fallujah, Thomas and Renee McDonough
made good on that pledge, rallying on Capitol Hill with hundreds of other military families from around the
nation.
"It's really about what our son told us," said Thomas McDonough of Hugo. "He believed in it."
With their clean-cut image and identical red polo shirts -- setting them apart from throngs of anti-war
protesters -- the group included 85 family members from Minnesota, the biggest state contingent in the
weeklong blitz of demonstrations and visits to Congress.
What the McDonoughs and the other Minnesota families also showed legislators is that a state long known
for "progressive" politics and lacking active-duty military bases has emerged as a hotbed of activism in
support of the war.
Minnesota, like much of the nation, polls almost 2-1 against the war. And Sen. Norm Coleman, a Minnesota
Republican facing reelection next year, has been looking for a middle ground in the debate.
Yet the nation's leading "pro-victory" groups, Vets for Freedom and Families United for Our Troops and
Their Mission, are led by Minnesotans. Peter Hegseth, who heads Vets for Freedom, has become the national
TV face of pro-war veterans; Merrilee Carlson, who lost a son in Iraq, has become one of the nation's leading
"Gold Star" mothers.
"It is the Silent Majority no longer," said Carlson, who lives in Hastings and serves as president of the
55,000-strong Families United group. "It's too important for us to stay quiet."
Anti-war groups in the state, which have been organized much longer, dispute the "majority" tag claimed by
Carlson and her followers. "The majority here is not silent -- it's us," said Kevin Fahey, a Vietnam veteran
and Minnesota chapter head of Americans Against the Escalation in Iraq.
Still, in the face of mounting public frustration with the ethno-sectarian violence in Iraq, the McDonoughs
and their allies took some credit for shoring up congressional support for Gen. David Petraeus' war strategy.
"We certainly can't take credit for it all, but we helped," said Hegseth, an Iraq war veteran from Forest Lake.
"The surge in Iraq is working, and we just tried to amplify on that success."
The White House has had little difficulty beating back repeated Democratic attempts in the Senate to demand
deadlines for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, which Coleman has opposed along with most Republicans.
But Hegseth and other Minnesota backers of the war effort were disappointed to see Coleman join
Democrats on another unsuccessful amendment that would have sought to give troops minimum periods of
rest between deployments.
'It goes against the military'
Though Coleman supported the measure on the grounds of fairness to the troops, many of the military
families didn't see it that way.
"It goes against the military, the troops and their mission," said Kelly Freudenberg, the mother of Elden
Arcand, a 22-year-old Army private from White Bear Lake who was killed in northern Iraq in 2005, about
four months before Bryan McDonough deployed.
Freudenberg, McDonough and other Minnesotans who traveled to Washington considered Coleman a
legislative target in their campaign, just as he has been in competing advertising blitzes on the war this
summer.
"We put a lot of effort into it," said Hegseth. His group, Vets for Freedom, has run TV ads in 10 states, but
nowhere more than in Minnesota, where Coleman faces a likely anti-war Democratic challenger in the 2008
Senate race.
Fahey, who has squared off in debates with Vets for Freedom Minnesota Chapter leader Michael Baumann,
said the large turnout of Minnesota military families in Washington reflects the pro-war group's
organizational strength in the state.
That, he said, and the fact that the group has keyed much of its effort on Minnesota to target Coleman.
Vets for Freedom and Families United say they have a national focus. Most of the travel costs for the
military families from Minnesota and elsewhere were paid by national groups that "support the mission,"
said Ryan Narramore, who works for the Gordon C. James Public Relations firm, which represents Families
United.
James, who worked for former President George H.W. Bush, did strategic communications for the Coalition
Provisional Authority in Iraq.
But Hegseth said the Minnesota support is homegrown. "Maybe it's in our blood," he said. "Maybe it's in the
lakes up there."
'Die for nothing?'
Carlson's son Michael, 22, was killed in Iraq in 2005. She said she, like others who have lost loved ones in
the war, is not one who ordinarily would seek attention, speak out, or protest.
"Michael has given me the courage to say what I need to say," she said.
The differences over the war are not always as deep as they first appear. Baumann, for example, says he
harbors "serious concerns" about how the war started -- the same concerns as Fahey and others who say it is
time to get out.
But Baumann, now a St. Paul school administrator, said he believes that would be an abrogation of American
commitments. "If we leave precipitously, it's an abandonment of the Iraqi people," he said.
For McDonough and his wife, Renee, it would represent an abandonment of their son's sacrifice.
When Bryan McDonough was deploying to Iraq, Cindy Sheehan was in the news. She had lost her son in the
war and had turned against it. If the worst happened, McDonough told his parents, don't let that happen to
you.
So they went to Washington to meet with Coleman and his Democratic counterpart, Amy Klobuchar, who
both attended Bryan McDonough's funeral.
What would happen, Thomas McDonough wanted to know, if the United States pulled out now: "Did he die
for nothing, then?"
Kevin Diaz • 202-408-2753 Kevin Diaz • kdiaz@startribune.com
Spec. Corey J. Rystad
Hometown: Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 20 years old
Died: December 2, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, Crookston, Minn.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Humvee during security operations in Fallujah.
Brian Rystad said that in recent e-mails, his older brother, Corey, wanted news of the family deer hunt and the
University of North Dakota hockey team, whose games Brian would burn onto DVDs for his brother to watch in Iraq.
Corey always downplayed the danger he faced, Brian said. "He was always talking positive," he said. "We were
making plans to go to college together when he got out, in Detroit Lakes. He wanted to go for radiology." Rystad, 20,
of Red Lake Falls, Minn., died Dec. 2 when his vehicle struck an explosive in Fallujah. He was a 2004 high school
graduate and was assigned to Crookston. While in high school, Corey was active in sports, lettered in football and
hockey, and played golf. He enjoyed hunting and being with friends. He also took an interest in youth hockey games,
becoming head referee. Andrew Bertilrud, a classmate and friend, said Rystad spent part of his leave helping him
look for an apartment in Duluth. "He was always ready to help people," Bertilrud said. "He'd do anything for you." He
also is survived by his parents, Jim and Donna.
Sgt. Corey J. Rystad, Age 20, of Red Lake Falls was killed in combat. Sgt. Rystad was assigned to B Company, 2nd
Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, based in Crookston. While traveling on a patrol mission near Fallujah, Iraq
an Improvised Explosive Device detonated near his vehicle on Saturday, December 2nd at approximately 4 p.m. Iraq
time.
SPREAD THE WORD: IRAQ-NAM
LETTING THE FACTS, EVENTS AND PEOPLE SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Corey Rystad laid to rest
RED LAKE FALLS, MINN. -- Four days before the funeral, Roger Johanneck walked through St. Joseph's
Catholic Cemetery, surveying the ground where Corey Rystad would be buried.
He had a job to do, an assignment from his friend Jim Rystad, Corey's father.
"For a soldier who's done something for you, sacrificed for you, it feels good to do something for him,"
Johanneck, 53, said Wednesday, his assignment completed.
"You can read names in the paper," he said. "A soldier from someplace in South Carolina dies, and you try to
visualize where that town is, and you feel bad.
"But when it's your town, when it's a name and face you know, it really hits home."
In a little cemetery in a small town in one of Minnesota's smallest counties, Rystad was laid to rest with
military honors Wednesday after a funeral watched by more than 1,000 people at St. Joseph's Catholic
Church and in overflow halls.
They came from Red Lake Falls, pop. 1,661, where the schools, city offices and some businesses closed for
the service, and they came from the nearby hamlets of St. Hilaire, Dorothy, Gentilly and Terrebonne, the
names reflecting heavy French-Canadian settlement of the county in the 1870s, leavened since by Germans
and Scandinavians.
"We're pretty tight," said Mayor Bob (Rabbit) Philion. "If one person is grieving here, we're all grieving."
At the request of people in Thief River Falls, Baudette, Karlstad and other communities throughout
northwestern Minnesota, local cable and telephone companies arranged to broadcast the funeral live.
"The people up there asked for that," Philion said. "They wanted to be part of this."
Added the Rev. Tim Bushy, pastor at St. Joseph's: "This is a region where people and towns work together
very cooperatively in all areas of living, all areas of life."
Another Gold Star Mother
Minnesota National Guard Specialist Corey Rystad was killed on Dec. 2, less than a month shy of his 21st
birthday, when a roadside bomb rocked the Humvee in which he was riding near Fallujah.
Spec. Bryan McDonough, 22, of Maplewood, also was killed in the blast, and their friend Sgt. John Kriesel,
25, from Vadnais Heights, lost both of his legs.
Rystad's death brought to 50 the number of service personnel with strong ties to Minnesota who have died
in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was the first from Red Lake Falls and the first from
the Crookston Diocese of the Catholic Church. Bishop Victor Balke presided at his funeral.
Among the funeral prayers Wednesday was one for "all the factions in Iraq" and elsewhere in the Middle
East, "that God will inspire them with a new vision and give them courage to work for peace."
At a prayer service that drew about 1,500 people Tuesday night, Gold Star Mother Alice Longtin of Red Lake
Falls, whose son Mark was killed in Vietnam, presented a gold star to Donna Rystad.
Flags flew at half-staff outside City Hall, the post office, the Red Lake County Courthouse and Hillcrest
Nursing Home on Wednesday. They were lowered, too, at Lafayette High School and at the Gunder Austad
American Legion Post.
The war in Iraq "is closer to us now, more real for many of us," Bushy said in his homily. "We have rallied
together today to support and walk with one another through ... our loss and our grief."
Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Sen. Mark Dayton and Congressman Collin Peterson joined a military honor guard to
salute Corey Rystad's casket as it was carried down the church steps. About 80 members of the Patriot
Guard motorcycle group, which had been invited by the Rystad family, stood with raised flags to shield the
family from any protests. But there were none.
Building a bridge
Johanneck had talked with Jim Rystad shortly after the news about Corey arrived. Johanneck felt helpless
and struggled to find something to say. "There's something you can do," Jim Rystad told his friend. "Could
you build a bridge?" Hundreds, maybe thousands of people will be at the funeral, he said. St. Joseph's can
take maybe 350, and people were arranging for overflow seating in the community hall, high school and
library.
But where will people park at the little cemetery a mile outside of town?
On Saturday, after farmer Knute Knutson offered a pinto bean field next to the cemetery, after volunteers
cleared snow and graded the tilled field smooth, providing room for 500 cars, Johanneck and friends
finished the project: building a bridge over a drainage ditch, connecting the new parking lot to the rural
cemetery.
A carpenter friend helped. So did Johanneck's son. The local lumberyard donated wood, and they put
together a 24-foot span, about 4 feet wide, with railings and a slip-proof rug.
"Gosh, we don't want the governor falling into a drainage ditch and breaking a leg," Johanneck said. "We'll
never get any state aid up here then."
They joked as they worked. They laughed. It helped, Johanneck said.
As it happened, mourners couldn't use the field. It was too nice a day -- bright sun, unseasonably warm
temperatures -- and the ground turned to gumbo.
Still, Johanneck said, it felt good to do something.
"At the wake, I tried to imagine how I would feel if it was my son lying in that casket," he said. "I just
couldn't do it."
It helped to hear funny stories about Corey the prankster, and stories that soldiers from his unit told about
his loyalty and friendship and how he shared things from home.
"That was a good reflection on his family, his folks," Johanneck said. "On us."
From the Tribune
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2006
Corey J. Rystad dies of injuries from I.E.D.
Rystad joined the military immediately after graduating from high school in 2004.
"Between training and everything, he's been gone since the end of last October," his brother, David Rystad,
told the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald, noting that Corey Rystad's spent time training in Mississippi before he
left for Iraq. "He was home on leave in June. ... That was the last time we saw him."
Rystad said his brother was a real outdoors lover, "Corey was just a fun-loving guy. I know everybody always
says that, but he really was. He really, really enjoyed life. He like hunting and he played sports in high
school: football, hockey and golf."
Corey Rystad also had an older sister and a younger brother.
Andrew Bertilrud, a classmate and friend, said Rystad spent part of his leave helping him look for an
apartment in Duluth. "He was always ready to help people," Bertilrud said. "He'd do anything for you."
Pfc. Nicholas D. Turcotte
Hometown: Maple Grove, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 23 years old
Died: December 4, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry, West St. Paul, Minn.
Incident: Died from injuries suffered in a vehicle accident in Nasiriyah.
Nicholas D. Turcotte
Turcotte, Sgt. Nicholas D. age 23, of Maple Grove. Survived by wife Jennifer; parents, Deborah
(Roy) Moore and Mark (Zel) Peterson; grandparents, Betsy and Dave Turcotte; Craig and Joyce
Peterson; 2 brothers, R.J. and Alex; 2 sisters Shelby and Juliet; Jennifer's parents, Karen and
Joel Skagerberg; her brother, Allan Skagerberg and sister, Katie; A company 2nd Battalion, 135
Infantry; and many other relatives and friends. Mass of Christian Burial 11 AM Friday at St.
Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Interment Fort Snelling
National Cemetery. Visitation after 9:30 AM Friday at the church. Memorials preferred to
Minnesotans' Military Appreciation Fund www.thankmntroops.org Evans-Nordby 763-424-4000
Published in Star Tribune from December 10 to December 14, 2006
GOV. PAWLENTY ORDERS U.S. AND STATE FLAGS AT
HALF-STAFF IN HONOR OF SGT. NICHOLAS TURCOTTE
Gov. Tim Pawlenty Thursday ordered that all U.S. and Minnesota flags be flown at half-staff at all state buildings in Minnesota from
sunrise until sunset tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 15, in honor and remembrance of Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte who died a hero while
protecting his country and fighting for freedom on Dec. 4, 2006, in Iraq. Saint Paul – Gov. Tim Pawlenty Thursday ordered that all
U.S. and Minnesota flags be flown at half-staff at all state buildings in Minnesota from sunrise until sunset tomorrow, Friday, Dec.
15, in honor and remembrance of Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte who died a hero while protecting his country and fighting for
freedom on Dec. 4, 2006, in Iraq.
The following is the text of the Governor’s official proclamation:
Whereas:
Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte was born on Feb. 17, 1983, in Highland Park, Illinois; and
Whereas:
Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte graduated from Maple Grove High School in 2001; and
Whereas:
Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte joined the Minnesota Army National Guard in 2004 and was assigned to Company A,
2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry; and
Whereas:
Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte was a devoted soldier who loved serving his country and did so with great pride; and
Whereas:
Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte died a hero while protecting his country and fighting for freedom on Monday, Dec. 4,
2006, near Nasiriyah, Iraq; and
Whereas:
Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte is survived by his loving wife, Jennifer; parents, Deborah (Roy) Moore and Mark (Zel)
Peterson; grandparents, Betsy and Dave Turcotte and Craig and Joyce Peterson; brothers, R.J. and Alex; sisters, Shelby and Juliet;
father- and mother-in-law, Karen and Joel Skagerberg; brother-in-law, Allan Skagerberg; sister-in-law, Katie Skagerberg; and many
other friends and family who loved him dearly and will miss him greatly; and
Whereas:
A funeral service for Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte will be held on Friday, Dec.r 15, 2006, at 11 a.m. at the Church of
St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park. Visitation will be held before the funeral, starting at 9:30 a.m.; and
Whereas:
Interment with full military honors will be held following the funeral service at Fort Snelling National Cemetery; and
Whereas:
The State of Minnesota thanks the family of Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte for his dedicated service to the people of
this country and we extend our thoughts and prayers to his family.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, TIM PAWLENTY, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby order all U.S. and Minnesota flags be flown at half-staff
at the Capitol Complex, including state buildings, monuments and grounds in proximity to and including the Minnesota State Capitol,
from sunrise until sunset, on Friday, Dec. 15, 2006, in honor and remembrance of Sergeant Nicholas D. Turcotte.
Nicholas D. Turcotte was recalled by his former English teacher as having a little twinkle in his eye, a jaunt
in his step and a smile on his face. "Nick loved to have fun with me. He called me Mrs. 'H,' and loved to
tease me a little. What was so endearing about this quality is that Nick had respect for adults; he would
have never done any teasing at all if I had said, 'Nick, stop; I don't like what you are saying,'" teacher Susan
Hein said. Turcotte, 23, of Maple Grove, Minn., died Dec. 4 when his armored vehicle rolled over on a road
near Nasiriyah. He was a 2001 high school graduate and was assigned to West St. Paul. In high school,
Turcotte participated in football and hockey. He also was active in the school's jazz band, the orchestra and
choir. He played the trombone and attended North Hennepin Community College. Turcotte was part of the
Maple Grove Police Department's Explorer Program in 2002. During the Minnesota Law Enforcement
Explorer Conference Competition in April of 2002, he placed third in the Air Pistol competition. He is
survived by his wife, Jennifer.