Showing posts with label fallen soldier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fallen soldier. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

10th Mountain mourning loss of 2 soldiers in Afghanistan

2 Drum soldiers killed in Afghanistan, DoD confirms
Army Times
Apr. 30, 2014 - 05:37PM

Pfc. Christian J. Chandler, 20, left and Sgt. Shawn M. Farrell II, 24, were killed in separate locations, according to DoD announcements released Wednesday.
(Army)
Two soldiers from 10th Mountain Division were killed Monday in Afghanistan, the Defense Department has confirmed.

Sgt. Shawn M. Farrell II, 24, and Pfc. Christian J. Chandler, 20, were killed in separate locations, according to DoD announcements released Wednesday.
read more here

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Australia War widow touched by Kate's sympathy

War widow touched by Kate's sympathy
News Australia
24 HOURS AGO APRIL 20, 2014

WAR widow Nicole Pearce says her meeting with the Duchess of Cambridge was a surreal and privileged experience, but she desperately wishes it could have been under different circumstances.

It's been almost seven years since a roadside bomb claimed the life of her husband, Trooper David Pearce, just two weeks into a tour of Afghanistan.

Her daughters Stephanie and Hanna lost their father. She lost the man she loved, and, for too many years, any sense of a normal life.

Nothing can bring her 41-year-old husband back but the widow was touched by the duchess's heartfelt concern for her family.

Kate and Prince William spoke with four families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan and Iraq during their tour of Queensland's Amberley RAAF base on Saturday.

"She asked how long David had been in the military for and how long he'd been overseas when he was killed," Mrs Pearce told the Nine Network.

"She was sincerely quite sad for us to think David was only over there for two weeks when he was killed. She seemed very, very genuine and she was very sweet."

It was a bitter sweet occasion for the family.
read more here

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Memorial for fallen soldier vandalized, jerk won't be charged?

Man who painted 'war criminal' on veteran's memorial will not be charged
AJC.com
By Kevin McCarty
KIRO-TV - Seattle
April 10, 2014

RAINIER, Wash. — For people in this small Washington town, seeing a mural honoring a local man killed in Iraq vandalized for a second time is angering.

“I think it’s disgusting," said espresso drive through owner Glenda Guerra. “It’s angered a lot of people. It’s a shame and it’s almost a personal offense to us.”

The mural was painted on a concrete railroad trestle support honoring Army Sgt. Justin Norton, who died while deployed to Iraq in 2006. Someone spray painted the words "war criminal" across the mural in green florescent paint. The person or persons also painted over the word "hero" under Norton’s name.

Norton’s father Jeff, a Thurston County sheriff’s deputy, said the graffiti hurts his family. “Kind of a gut punch”, said Norton in a telephone interview. “We as a family are very proud of him, of Justin. And the community is really proud of him too.”
read more here

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Love Letter Tribute at VFW Post 2093


HOTH MISSION
Salute to our Fallen Soldiers
Orlando, Florida
Sunday, February 23, 2014
 

Join us in a Salute to our Fallen Soldiers as we honor them through a Love Letter Tribute, Ceremonial Balloon Release, Children's Activities, and Poetry. Gold Star family members will attend this memorable occasion held at a scenic waterfront park. This is the second of its kind event. It will open with a color guard, the 13 folds of the flag presentation, and keynote speaker US Army chaplain. This event is open to all family members and friends of our Fallen Soldiers.
 
Let's bring our flags and stand a flag line for a Salute to our Fallen Hero's.
 
Patriot Guard Riders will be there!

Staging will be at the: VFW Post 2093
4444 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804
MAP: http://tinyurl.com/lsly6jc

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Army Spc. Shannon Chihuahua's family will accept a Silver Star in his honor.

Fallen soldier to receive Silver Star
WALB ABC News
By Troy Washington
Posted: Dec 27, 2013

OCHLOCKNEE, GA
A South Georgia soldier killed in action will be awarded one of the nation's highest military honors.

Army specialist Shannon Chihuahua's family will accept a Silver Star in his honor.

It's been three years since Kristen Chihuahua lost her husband and their two daughters lost their dad. Now, he's being honored for his bravery and sacrifice.

Six year old Sophia Chihuahua may not fully understand the sacrifice that her father made for her country, but she does know that daddy was a hero.

"Sometimes when I get scared in the dark at night, alone with my sister and I can't sleep I just snuggle with my bear and I just fall asleep," said Sophia.

The bear that Sophia and her three year old sister Annabelle are holding so closely is made from pieces of their father's uniform. Shannon Chihuahua was an army medic, who died in Afghanistan in 2010 after his unit was attacked by insurgents. He was fatally wounded while trying to help a fellow soldier.

"He had no regard for what might happen to him he was just trying to get to the person that needed help," said Kristen Chihuahua.

It's that kind of courage that earned him two Purple Hearts, numerous other awards, and most recently a Silver Star, the second highest military honor.

"He truly deserves it, if any soldier deserves it would be him, for not thinking about himself or what may happen to him, but instead thinking that someone else needed him," said Kristen.

On February 7th the entire family will travel to Fort Campbell in Kentucky to receive the soldier's award.
read more here

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Flight carrying fallen soldier home video hits over a million in 3 days

Fallen Soldier Delta Flight: Passengers Honored to Accompany Fallen Soldier
By Zachary Stieber
Epoch Times
November 1, 2013

A fallen soldier was on a Delta flight on Thursday, and passengers were honored to hear that they were on the same plane as the soldier.

The pilot told passengers over the PA system about 45 minutes prior to landing that the plane was transporting the soldier.

Everyone was told to wait several minutes after landing so that the military escort could get off first, a passenger wrote on the travel blog Johnny Jet. Los Angeles fire trucks greeted the plane with a water canon salute.

A military officer came onto the plane before the passengers disembarked and thanked them.

“I just addressed the escort. It is a sworn oath to bring home, to the family, the fallen,” he said. “Today you all did that, you are all escorts, escorts of the heart.”

The passenger wrote: “As you can imagine, everyone was silent, no one got up, not even that person from the back row who pretends they don’t speak English so they can be first off the plane. I’m sure most had meteor-sized lumps in their throats and tears in their eyes like I did.”
read more here after you dry your eyes


As of November 2 at 7:00 pm the count is 1,682,367. What do you think it will be by the 11th for Veterans Day?

Monday, October 28, 2013

University of Montana Fallen Soldier Memorial for OEF and OIF

UM's Fallen Soldier monument dedicated as state’s official Iraq, Afghanistan war memorial
Missoulian News
By Alice Miller
October 26, 2013


Michelle Torres makes a special stop when she comes to Missoula to visit her children and grandchildren.

“When I do come to town, I usually do come and sit and visit with this,” she said, gesturing to the plaque where Travis Arndt’s name is chiseled in stone at the Fallen Soldier Memorial on the University of Montana campus.

“I really miss him,” she said of her son Saturday after a ceremony dedicating the memorial as the official state Iraq and Afghanistan veterans monument.

Torres especially misses her son’s sense of humor. “It can bring down the room.”

Arndt, 23, died in 2005 when an armored vehicle the U.S. Army sergeant was in rolled over in Iraq. The memorial helps her heal after the loss, Torres said.

Forty-two other Montana soldiers’ families and loved ones also lost a service member in Iraq or Afghanistan, and those 43 heroes are immortalized at the memorial, which was unveiled in November 2011.
read more here

Monday, October 14, 2013

US soldier shot dead in 'insider attack' in south-eastern Afghanistan

US soldier shot dead in 'insider attack' in south-eastern Afghanistan
Man wearing Afghan security forces uniform opens fire on Nato-led coalition troops in tenth such incident this year
The Guardian
Sunday 13 October 2013

An Afghan man wearing an Afghan army uniform shot at US soldiers in south-eastern Afghanistan, killing at least one serviceman on Sunday, local officials and the Nato-led coalition said.

The so-called "insider attack" in Paktika province is the fourth in less than a month and is likely to strain already tense ties between coalition troops and their allies, with most foreign troops scheduled to withdraw by the end of next year. A Reuters tally shows Sunday's incident was the tenth this year, and took the death toll of foreign personnel to 15.

"A man wearing an Afghan army uniform shot at Americans in Sharana city [the provincial capital] near the governor's office," said an Afghan official, adding that two soldiers had been hit by the gunfire.
read more here

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Fisher House steps up for fallen soldiers shafted by shutdown

Whenever I am asked what is a good charity for veterans, Fisher House is at the top of the list because of all the fantastic things they are doing. If you want one more good example of this, just read this and know how important it is to them to always do the right thing.
House votes for death benefits, but Defense reaches agreement with donor
Washington Post
By Ed O'Keefe and Aaron Blake
Published: October 9, 2013

The House voted 425-0 on Wednesday to approve a measure that would ensure the Pentagon is able to pay death benefits to the families of U.S. service members killed in the line of duty.

The vote came shortly after the White House said President Obama has instructed the Defense Department to ensure that the roughly $100,000 payouts are made as scheduled when necessary.

Around the same time the House passed the bill, though, the legislation became somewhat moot, as the Defense Department announced it had found a donor to pay death benefits until the shutdown is over.

In a statement, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said his department is "entering into an agreement with the Fisher House Foundation that will allow the federal government to provide the family members of fallen service members with the full set of benefits they have been promised, including a $100,000 death gratuity payment."

The Fisher House Foundation provides temporary housing for the families of loved ones undergoing medical treatment at military and Veterans Affairs hospitals.

The Fisher House Foundation had said Tuesday that it would step in and provide the $100,000 benefit to any family members of killed troops who were being denied the money because of the shutdown. The difference now is that the Pentagon has formally agreed to pay back the Foundation after the shutdown ends.
read more here

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Soldier killed on July 4th in Afghanistan was only 18 years old

DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Pvt. Errol D.A. Milliard, 18, of Birmingham, Ala., died July 4 in Farah province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket propelled grenade while on dismounted patrol. He was assigned to the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Dead grass covers large sections of Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

Veterans cemetery's unsightly grounds don't meet 'shrine standards'
LA Times
By Tony Perry
June 22, 2013

Dead grass covers large sections of Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on Point Loma.
(San Diego Union-Tribune / June22, 2013)
SAN DIEGO -- For more than a century, the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on Point Loma has been the final resting spot for many of the nation's military veterans.

The lush and well-tended grounds bespeak the honor and respect that the nation owes its veterans, many of whom fell in battle.

But for months, the cemetery has had large unsightly patches of dead or dying grass amid the 77 acres of graves.

A series of problems have caused large areas to be left with grass that is brown and wilting and altogether unsightly. In some areas, the problem is a broken irrigation system, in others the grass was intentionally killed to allow for a grave realignment.

"We're sincerely apologetic for any discomfort we've caused the families," said Bradley Phillips, an executive director for memorial services at the Department of Veterans Affairs. "We're working very hard to bring the cemetery up to shrine standards."

Some of the areas will be green again by August, but others will take months, he said.

The apparent slowness of the repairs has upset some family members, like Jill Millard, whose son, 22-year-old Army Cpl. Gregory Millard, was killed in Iraq in 2007.
read more here

Friday, June 14, 2013

Vietnam Veteran came up with plan to honor Fort Hood victims

Donations are needed to complete the Fort Hood shooting memorial
ABC News 25
By Markeya Thomas
Posted: Jun 13, 2013

The Killeen Civic and Conference Center and Killeen Volunteers have teamed up to build a memorial for the victims of the 2009 Fort Hood Shooting.

The memorial will be build adjacent to the Killeen Civic and Conference center and will feature 13 bronzes that represent something that was special to the fallen victims.
read more here

Fallen Soldier's mother welcomes release of footage of battle

Soldier's mother welcomes release of footage
New Zealand Herald
By Matthew Theunissen
Jun 14, 2013

The mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan says footage released by the Defence Force of a firefight between New Zealand troops and insurgents shows how well our soldiers are trained.

The footage was released yesterday following a Court of Inquiry into the deaths of five New Zealanders in two separate incidents just two weeks apart in August last year.

Lynne McSweeney, whose son Corporal Luke Tamatea was killed when the humvee he was in ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) in Bamiyan Province, told Radio New Zealand she welcomed the release of the footage because it showed how difficult conditions were in Afghanistan.

"It certainly wasn't a walk in the park. The actual terrain that they worked in made their job so difficult and so I think it's important that people understand that.

"But it also shows, I believe, how well trained the soldiers were. To me, the way that they were able to take control of that ambush is testimony to their training and their ability.''
read more here

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Three Fort Campbell Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan

Three Fort Campbell Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan
Channel 5 News
Posted: Jun 04, 2013

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) – Three Fort Campbell soldiers were killed in two separate attacks in Afghanistan.

Military officials said Tuesday that Warrant Officer Sean W. Mullen of Dover died Sunday in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

23-year-old 2nd Lt. Justin Lee Sisson of Phoenix, Ariz., and 20-year-old Spc. Robert Allan Pierce of Panama, Okla., died in Afghanistan Monday after their unit was struck by an improvised explosive device.

The 39-year-old Mullen was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Fort Campbell.
read more here

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Fallen soldier, Zack Shannon, honored by friends, strangers

Fallen soldier, Zack Shannon, honored by friends, strangers
Mar 25, 2013
Ashley Porter
WTSP.com

Dunedin, Florida-- From Tampa to Dunedin, crowds lined the streets with flags, signs, and sadness for a fallen soldier.

The reason behind their determination, waiting hours for the motorcade of Army Spc. Zack Shannon, could be summed up by the words of six-year-old Jacob Rooks: "Zack died for our freedom."

From the intersections of Clearwater to the sidewalks in front of Dunedin High School, one word resonated: hero.

Shannon was killed on March 11 in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. He was the first graduate of Dunedin High School and its JROTC program to ever be killed in action.

"Zack made a difference," says Commander Rick Schock, who taught Zack at Dunedin High School. "Zack was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was unfortunately killed in action. He wanted to fly helicopters, he wanted to be in the Army and when I last saw him, he was very, very happy."
read more here

Final escort of Dunedin soldier comes through Tampa today
Times Staff
Monday, March 25, 2013
Go there for wonderful video.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Bank America and Homes For Our Troops Team Up For Widows

Fort Campbell widows receive mortgage-free homes
Feb 15, 2013
Written by
Kristin M. Hall
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, TENN. — The widows of three Fort Campbell soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan received mortgage-free homes in Tennessee on Friday from Bank of America and Homes for Our Troops.

The wives of Army Spc. Charles “Scott” Jirtle, Army Spc. Blaine Redding and Army Spc. Anthony Vargas were presented with ceremonial keys to their homes in front of a crowd of supporters who had come to Nashville from the post on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line.

The donation of the homes was a reflection of the support from the military community around Fort Campbell for these families, who are referred to within the military as “Gold Star Families.”

All three soldiers were assigned to units in the 101st Airborne Division. Some of the division’s top leaders were in attendance, including the deputy commanding general for support, Brig. Gen. Ronald F Lewis.

Jirtle, 29, and Redding, 22, were killed after their vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device on June 7, 2010, in Konar, Afghanistan. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.

Vargas, 27, died Nov. 8, 2010, in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, after insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.
read more here

Friday, February 15, 2013

Ex-Westboro Baptist Church member apologizes

Ex-Westboro Baptist Church member apologizes to Missouri soldier's parents
BY LISA GUTIERREZ
THE KANSAS CITY STAR

On an episode of Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show Wednesday, Libby Phelps Alvarez, a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, tearfully apologized to the family of a slain Army soldier from Columbia, Mo.

Libby Phelps Alvarez apologized to Sherry and Randy Wyatt for picketing the funerals of soldiers like their son, Sterling, who was killed in Afghanistan last summer.

Alvarez is the granddaughter of Fred Phelps, the church's founder.

Sherry Wyatt had her say, too. She showed the cloth held by supporters on the day of the funeral to shield the family from the Westboro protesters.

"Our son died to ensure freedom of assembly, to ensure freedom of speech, to ensure freedoms for those that are white, black, gay, straight, rich, poor ... All that we get from your actions is just a show of absolute hate," the mother of the dead soldier said on the show.
read more here

Family hears about final moments of fallen son in Afghanistan

Soldier Describes Shooting Rampage That Killed L.I. Marine
By Pei-Sze Cheng
Friday, Feb 15, 2013

Six months after a Long Island soldier was shot and killed in Afghanistan, his heartbroken family continues to seek answers about his death.

Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley Jr., 21, was killed last August when an Afghani man who worked on Buckley's base went on a shooting rampage. Buckley and two of his comrades died.

Buckley's family in Oceanside was initially told the shooter was an Afghani policeman being trained by American soldiers on the base. The military hasn't completed its investigation, but his relatives have been talking to witnesses and are raising doubts about what they were first told.
read more here

Friday, February 1, 2013

Fallen soldier's son gets wish to send letter to heaven

If you ever wanted to cry for a good reason, here it is. A soldier died and a son wanted to send a letter to him in Heaven. His wish was granted by an angel with the wings of Lt. Col. Brian Baldwin.
Pilot Delivers Letter To 'Heaven' For Little Boy's Fallen Soldier Dad
The Huffington Post
By Zoe Mintz
Posted: 02/01/2013

PHOTOS: Tech. Sgt. Dana Rosso
UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 1, 2013 3:34 p.m. EST

MacAidan Gallegos was just five years old when his father was killed in Afghanistan in 2009.

Four years later, 9-year-old ‘Mac’ had a special request in honor of his father’s birthday on Jan. 24 . He wanted to write his dad a letter that would be delivered to him in heaven, KTUU reports.

"I wanted to write a letter because I wanted to know more about my dad and to show that I didn't forget him and to show that I also love him," Mac, who lives in Anchorage, Alaska, told the news outlet.

Amanda Marr, Mac’s mother, posted her son’s wish on Facebook and was soon contacted by Helping American Veterans Experience Alaska (HAVE Alaska), a nonprofit that organizes and funds fishing and hunting trips in Alaska for injured veterans. The organization connected Lt. Col. Brian Baldwin with the family to fly the letter as high as his F-22 aircraft would allow, according to ARPC.
read more here