IN MEMORIAM.......These BRAVE Men and Women died.......FOR US

[Big Dude]

Army Spc. Richard P. Orengo

6-26-2003

Army Spc. Richard P. Orengo, 32, of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico; assigned to the 755th Military Police Company, Arecibo, Puerto Rico; killed by enemy fire June 26 in Najif, Iraq.

Here is a story about Richard:

Puerto Rico National Guard buries first combat casualty since Korean War

Frank Griffiths
Associated Press


The Puerto Rico National Guard buried its first combat casualty since the Korean War July 5 as hundreds of mourners, from police officers to motorcycle club members, paid last respects at the U.S. territory’s national cemetery.
Spc. Richard P. Orengo died in a gun battle while investigating a car theft on June 26 in Najaf, Iraq, about 100 miles southwest of Baghdad.

Orengo was kneeling, returning fire, when an enemy bullet ricocheted and struck him in the neck, Brig. Gen. Francisco Marquez said. He was decorated with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for heroism.

“I wish this were a nightmare,” Marquez said in his eulogy.

“We’ll continue fighting for what you did — dignity and justice — so people will be free from terrorism. Thank you, Ricky,” Marquez said as two of Orengo’s sons — ages 7 and 8 — looked up with teary eyes at a white dove fluttering at the cemetery’s outdoor chapel pavilion.

Orengo joined the National Guard in 1990 and served in Kosovo on a peacekeeping mission.

In civilian life, Orengo was a motorcycle police officer since 1996 in Bayamon, a San Juan suburb. A squadron of about 60 police motorcycles led Orengo’s hearse in formation to the Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamon.

Orengo also belonged to a motorcycle club called “The Moths,” which is comprised mostly of older people and has an 87-year-old man among its ranks, Maj. Millie Rosa said. “Orengo was one of the youngest members,” she said. “He loved motorcycles.”

The National Guard and police fired two 21-gun salutes, and a soldier and policeman played Taps on two trumpets.

“His body is here, but his soul is with God,” said his widow, Carmen Berrios Rodriguez, who was standing over Orengo’s coffin while a military officer fanned her with a piece of paper in the midmorning heat.

Berrios and the two sons kissed Orengo’s coffin after Marquez presented her with a folded U.S. flag. The general also presented his father, Teodoro Orengo, with a flag.

Orengo, who was born in Perth Amboy, N.J., had been assigned to the 755th Military Police Company in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. He was sent to Iraq with about 120 soldiers from the unit in May.

Spc. Gabriel Gonzalez, 22, of Orengo’s unit, flew in from Iraq to attend the funeral. Gonzalez met Orengo in 1999 when he enlisted in the National Guard and Orengo served as best man at his wedding.

“It’s a combat zone,” Gonzalez said when asked about Iraq, where he has to return early this coming week.

At least 27 U.S. troops have been killed by hostile fire since major combat was officially declared over May 1.

Orengo was the third Puerto Rican to be killed in the war on Iraq. He leaves behind two other children, a 2-year-old son and an 18-year-old adopted son.

There are more than 53,000 Puerto Ricans in the U.S. armed forces, almost half of whom are on active duty, according to the Pentagon.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

No picture available
Navy Seaman Joshua McIntosh

6-26-2003

Navy Seaman Joshua McIntosh, 22, of Kingman, Ariz.; assigned to the Third Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment, 29 Palms, Calif.; died June 26 in Karbala, Iraq, from a non-hostile gunshot wound.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Spc. Corey A. Hubbell

6-26-2003

Army Spc. Corey A. Hubbell, 20, of Urbana, Ill.; assigned to Company B, 46th Engineer Battalion, Fort Rucker, Ala.; died June 26 in Camden Yards, Kuwait, from a non-combat related cause.

For Spc. Corey A. Hubbell, the military was important in a number of ways.

“Corey was a very friendly, likable young man who looked at the Army as personal development and training, and also as service to his country,” said Sam Furrer, Hubbell’s high school counselor.

Hubbell died after being hospitalized in Kuwait with breathing difficulties. He was a carpentry and masonry specialist based at Fort Rucker, and deployed for Kuwait on Feb. 10. He enlisted in 2001 after graduating from high school.

“He looked at it as a way to gain some skills and a trade and go on from there,” Furrer said.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Cpl. Tomas Sotelo Jr.

6-27-2003

Army Cpl. Tomas Sotelo Jr., 20, of Houston, Texas; assigned to Headquarters Troop, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, La.; killed by enemy fire June 27 in Baghdad, Iraq. Sotelo was traveling in a convoy when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
• • • • •

In the eyes of his superiors, Cpl. Tomas Sotelo Jr. was a guiding light for his unit.

“In those moments of stress, he would always have something to say that would lighten their hearts,” said Brig. Gen. Jason Kamiya, commander of Sotelo’s training unit at Fort Polk.

Sotelo’s platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Zollman, said Sotelo “was like a big brother to the other soldiers.”

“He was the guy who, when other soldiers would come to the unit, would help teach them what they should do and what they shouldn’t do to stay out of trouble,” Zollman said.

Sotelo was the son of Tomas and Benancia Sotelo.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe

6-28-2003

Army Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Linden, N.J.; assigned to Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Okla.; killed in action in Iraq sometime between June 25 and June 28.
Philippe and Pfc. Kevin C. Ott, with the same unit, had been listed as missing in action after they failed to respond to a radio check June 25 south of Balad, Iraq. A search party was sent to the location of their last radio transmission, but was unable to find the soldiers. Their remains were located in Taji, Iraq, on June 28.


The eldest of nine children, Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe called home from Iraq often and counseled his little brother to swear off girls and keep his head on straight.

“He was like my best friend and my brother at the same time,” said Fedlyn Philippe, 16, Gladimir’s youngest brother. “He was a person I could just talk to. I looked up to him a lot.”

Philippe’s body and that of a fellow soldier were found May 28 near Baghdad. The soldiers were reported missing three days earlier from the town of Balad, 25 miles north of the Iraqi capital.

Philippe was part of an artillery unit based at Fort Sill. He enlisted in the Army in 1988 after graduating from high school.

The Army “was something (Gladimir) chose to do,” his brother said. “He always told me not to join. He told me to play basketball and keep my head strong and don’t worry about girls, and to do good in school.”

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Pfc. Kevin C. Ott

6-28-2003

Army Pfc. Kevin C. Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio; assigned to Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Okla.; killed in action in Iraq sometime between June 25 and June 28.
Ott and Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, with the same unit, had been listed as missing in action after they failed to respond to a radio check June 25 south of Balad, Iraq. A search party was sent to the location of their last radio transmission, but was unable to find the soldiers. Their remains were located in Taji, Iraq, on June 28.

Pfc. Kevin Ott had worked with a youth group and sang in the church choir in his hometown of Orient, Ohio. He decided to join the military after the Sept. 11 attacks, and even when he was deployed to Iraq, his father says, he wasn’t afraid of dying.

“He was completely at peace,” said Charles Ott.

Ott’s body along with that of another soldier were discovered June 28 near Baghdad, three days after they were reported missing some 25 miles away. Ott was part of an artillery unit based at Fort Sill.

Pam Condo, 49, remembered the time her brother gave her a ride on his beloved motorcycle. “I was afraid because I knew he loved to go really fast, but to my surprise, he went really slow because he knew I was scared,” she said.

Ott played defensive end for a season at Bluffton College, was on the football and basketball teams in high school, and coached his nephew’s Little League team, Condo said.

His calls and letters during the war were reserved, but his family could tell he was proud. “He absolutely loved Army life,” Charles Ott said.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Sgt. Timothy M. Conneway

6-28-2003

Army Sgt. Timothy M. Conneway, 22, of Enterprise, Ala.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died June 28 as a result of enemy fire in Baghdad. Conneway was traveling in a government vehicle in Baghdad June 26 when an explosive device detonated and struck the vehicle. He died two days later.

Timothy M. Conneway was a Junior ROTC star in high school — the first step in fulfilling his dream of being an Army Ranger and following his grandfather, father and brother into military service.

“He had a great personality and an ability to deal with others. He was always energetic and wanting to do things,” said Sgt. Maj. Johnny Snodgrass, his JROTC instructor. “He was a guy with a military image and fit all the credentials of a soldier at a young age.”

Conneway was injured June 24 when a vehicle packed with explosives on the side of a Baghdad road detonate. He died of his wounds two days later. Another Ranger was killed in the explosion.

“He was always a team player (and) always looked for the positive things in life,” Snodgrass said. “He was liked by everybody on the (drill) team, always laughing, always happy.”

He is survived by his wife, who is pregnant.

Adam

 

[Deb in IA]

Originally posted by Big Dude
I know I have so much to be thankful for in my life. During this holiday weekend, please remember those who have given their lives so we could be free.

Adam

Amen, Adam.


Thank you for continuing to remember. And thanks to Silky, if he is reading, for starting this.

 

[Keli]

Thanks for posting these Adam.

 

[Big Dude]

Army 1st Sgt. Christopher D. Coffin (Only small picture available)

7-1-2003

Army 1st Sgt. Christopher D. Coffin, 51, of Bethlehem, Pa.; assigned to the 352nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Riverdale, Md.; died July 1 in a traffic accident on Highway 8 in Iraq. Coffin’s vehicle ran into a ditch while trying to avoid a civilian vehicle.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Marine Cpl. Travis J. Bradach-Nall

7-2-2003

Marine Cpl. Travis J. Bradach-Nall, 21, of Multnomah County, Ore.; assigned to Combat Service Support Group 11, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died July 2 near Karbala, Iraq. Bradachnall was killed in an explosion during a mine clearing operation.

Here is a story about Travis:

Associated Press


Travis J. Bradach-Nall had been scheduled to leave Iraq shortly after major combat ended on May 1. He planned to go to college and learn to fly a helicopter. But when he heard more help was needed, he volunteered to stay an extra three months.
The platoon wasn’t surprised by his decision, said Cpl. Jose Hernandez: “He would always step in and take his spot.”

Bradach-Nall, 21, of Portland, Ore., died July 2 in an explosion during a mine-clearing operation. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Family and friends remembered Bradach-Nall as a fun-loving, courageous man with a love for music and a sense of adventure. In high school, he wrestled, played drums and sang in the choir. He had a large collection of tattoos, including one depicting a passage about shedding blood for brothers.

“He was always smiling,” uncle Sam Bradach said. “He had that sense of joy in whatever he did.”

Adam

 

[Deb in IA]

Bumping back to page 1.

Thanks, Adam.

 

[Big Dude]

Army Pfc. Corey L. Small

7-3-2003

Army Pfc. Corey L. Small, 20, of East Berlin, Pa.; attached to the 502nd Military Intelligence Company, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, La.; died from a non-combat related cause July 3 in Iraq.

Corey L. Small’s mother had reservations when he talked about joining the Army after high school. But that didn’t stop him.

“He said, ‘I’m an American and my friends are joining, so I’m joining,’” said family friend Ken Morgan. Small was stationed at Fort Polk, La. He is survived by his wife and 3-year-old son.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Pfc. Edward J. Herrgott

7-3-2003

Army Pfc. Edward J. Herrgott, 20, of Shakopee, Minn.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Wiesbaden, Germany; died from a gunshot wound while on patrol July 3 in Baghdad.

Pfc. Edward James Herrgott was a quiet man who was starting to find his way in the world with the help of the military.

“The Army gave him a little discipline, a little guidance in his life. He was getting on track,” said Troy Schimek, a 19-year-old friend of Herrgott’s family. He said Herrgott, known to family and friends as “Jim,” was his role model. While he made some mistakes, he always “took it in stride and righted himself,” Schimek said.

Herrgott, 20, of Shakopee, Minn., died July 3 when a sniper shot him in the neck outside the national museum in Baghdad. He hoped to earn enough money in the Army to become a police officer, said his parents, Marcia and Edward Herrgott.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Sgt. David B. Parson

7-6-2003

Army Sgt. David B. Parson, 30, Kannapolis, N.C.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Friedburg, Germany; shot and killed while conducting a raid on a house in Baghdad July 6.

David B. Parson joined the Marines about a year after high school graduation, then left after four years to move closer to his mother and stepfather. He worked for a time doing maintenance on planes owned by NASCAR drivers. But he found he preferred a more regimented life and joined the Army, said stepfather Bill Whitlow.

The family shipped out to his base in Germany in February, and Parson left for Iraq on Mother’s Day. Parson, 30, of Kannapolis, N.C., died July 6 under hostile fire in Iraq. He would have been married six years on July 17. He and his wife, Mary “Emmy” Parson, 23, have three children, ages 1 to 4.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Spc. Jeffrey M. Wershow

7-6-2003

Army Spc. Jeffrey M. Wershow, 22, Gainesville, Fla.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Orlando, Fla.; shot and killed on July 6 in Baghdad while conducting military operations.

Read more about Jeffrey in a USA Today article HERE

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Spc. Chad L. Keith

7-7-2003

Army Spc. Chad L. Keith, 21, Batesville, Ind.; assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, N.C.; was killed July 7 in Baghdad.
Keith was on mounted patrol when his vehicle drove past an object that exploded on the side of the road.

Here is a story about Chad:

Indiana soldier buried in nation’s capital

Associated Press


An Indiana soldier killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on the same day he was to be promoted to sergeant from specialist.
Friends and relatives remembered Sgt. Chad Keith, 21, of Batesville on July 31 as a humble man who lived his life one day at a time.

The 2000 Batesville High School graduate, who was killed July 7 in Baghdad, was awarded the rank of sergeant posthumously.

An awning protected about 30 mourners, including Keith’s parents, two sisters and brother and other relatives and friends, from light rain during the 25-minute ceremony.

Keith, who was a member of Company D, 2nd Battalion of the 325th Infantry, 82nd Airborne, based in Fort Bragg, N.C., was the 11th Indiana soldier killed since the United States and its allies invaded Iraq.

Rob Ehrich, legislative assistant to Indiana Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, presented Keith’s family with a copy of the Congressional Record statement honoring the gunner.

“While we struggle to bear our sorrow over his death, we can also take pride in the example he set, bravely fighting to make the world a safer place,” that statement read in part.

After the 18 or so military members departed, Keith’s family lingered, several touching his casket in a final farewell.

He was the 24th service member who died fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom to be buried at Arlington, according to Kerry Sullivan of the cemetery’s public affairs office.

A memorial service was held for Keith on July 17 at St. John United Church of Christ in Batesville.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Staff Sgt. Barry Sanford Sr. (no picture available)

7-7-2003

Army Staff Sgt. Barry Sanford Sr., 46, of Aurora, Colo.; assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Support Group, Fort Campbell, Ky.; died of non-combat-related causes July 7 in Balad, Iraq.

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Sgt. 1st Class Craig A. Boling

7-8-2003

Army Sgt. 1st Class Craig A. Boling

Army Sgt. 1st Class Craig A. Boling, 38, of Elkhart, Ind.; assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment, Tell City, Ind.; died July 8 of non-combat-related causes at Camp Wolf, Kuwait.

Before he was deployed to the Middle East, Craig A. Boling paid a florist to send his wife a bouquet of flowers every month he was gone. Family and friends said he had always been that way.

“There’s not a selfish bone in his body,” said Tony Lubarsky, Boling’s brother-in-law. “He was an awesome guy.”

Boling, 38, of Elkhart, Ind., collapsed and died July 8 while eating with his unit in Kuwait.

A National Guard platoon sergeant with no history of health problems, Boling completed 20 years in the reserves in February and expected to retire from the military. But that was put on hold until after the war.

Family members had already bought fireworks and American flags to line the streets when he returned — one flag for every day he was gone.

“He said to plan a vacation — two weeks, even if we had to take the kids out of school,” said his wife, Tania. “He was looking forward to a break and really missed us.”

Adam

 

[Big Dude]

Army Pvt. Robert L. McKinley (no picture available)

7-8-2003

Army Pvt. Robert L. McKinley, 23, of Kokomo, Ind.; assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died of non-combat-related causes July 8 in Homberg, Germany.

Here is a story about Robert:

Indiana soldier who died of heat stroke in Iraq honored at funeral

Associated Press


PERU, Ind. — Relatives, friends and fellow military members honored an Army private who died of apparent heat stroke he suffered while Iraq.
Robert L. McKinley received the Bronze Star and a 21-gun salute during his July 16 funeral in his hometown.

McKinley’s grandfather, Robert Feller, had many memories to share of the 23-year-old he called his son.

“He wasn’t an angel but he wasn’t a bad boy,” Feller said. “He stumbled around for a couple years after got out of (high) school until he found the military. He was proud of the military and died serving his country.”

McKinley had only been in the Army for eight months and was a member of the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Ky.

The 1998 Peru High School graduate suffered heat stroke in Mosul, Iraq, in mid-June and died July 8 in Germany.

“When he joined the military he grew up in a very short time,” Feller said. “He told me, ‘If there’s anything I can do for our country to make it better, I want to do it.”’

Adam