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War Casualties Results: Home: Mich.
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35 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Â "He was a darn good kid, somebody every father would be proud of," Akers' uncle, George Akers of Manton, told the Traverse City Record-Eagle. He said his nephew's goal was to become a state police trooper. Â The soldier, a veteran of the first Gulf War, was on his second stint in Iraq, believing it was the right thing to do, the uncle said. Â "His though was, `Better me, a single guy with no strings, than a married man," Akers told The Detroit News. Â Akers' mother, Carole, 69, said her son was drawn to the military as a child, wearing camouflage pajamas and playing with toy guns. Â "He's always been fascinated by it," she told the Detroit Free Press. Â "He said he wanted to do his part," George Akers said of his nephew. Â Akers, who previously lived in Tustin, worked security in Traverse City for four years, said Matt Mayer, Akers' roommate in Traverse City. Mayer said he met Akers when they served in the National Guard. Â "He was a great soldier, a great leader, he was always helping other people regardless of his own situation and what was going on in his life," Mayer said. Â Carole Akers and husband Don, who live in Tustin, had traveled last month to the hospital in Texas to be with their son, the Cadillac News reported. He was a graduate of Pine River High School. Â Mayer said he admired his friend's decision to seek out deployment to Iraq. Â "He was trying for months to find a unit to go with, and then when he found one, he jumped right on it," Mayer said. Â A funeral tentatively was planned for Saturday at Covenant Life Church in Lake City. | |||||
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32 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| In high school, Eugene H.E. Alex never stood out as a voracious reader or budding writer, but his sly charm still captivated both his fellow students and teachers, said Susan M. Krauss of Reese, who taught him English. Â "He liked to play pranks on people," said Krauss. "I remember one day he locked me out of my room. He was standing behind the door. I could see him through the window. With that grin on his face. That was just the kind of kid he was. You know, harmless. I'll never forget the smile he carried around with him." Â Alex, 32, of Bay City, Mich., died Sept. 2 in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center of injuries suffered on Aug. 30 in Baghdad from small-arms fire. He was assigned to Fort Wainwright. Â Alex joined the Army in May 1996 after working at a granary. He was an avid hunter who liked to stalk deer with his father and taught marksmanship in the military. Â Earlier this year, he had been recuperating for three months from neck injuries he sustained when his unit was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq last October. Â He is survived by his wife, Melissa, and two boys and a girl, ages 11, 8, and 6, respectively. | |||||
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| When the job market got tight, Mark Barbret joined the Army to help provide for his 3-year-old son, Christian. Explaining Barbret's death to the boy has been difficult. When a sergeant came to deliver the news, Christian thought the visitor was "daddy." "He doesn't really understand," said the boy's mother, Nicole Hale. "I've told him that Daddy is watching over him and he will see him again one day." Barbret, 22, of Shelby Township, Mich., died Oct. 14 when his Humvee was hit by a bomb. He was based at Camp Howze, South Korea. A quiet man with a fondness for cars, Barbret left for the military on Jan. 30, 2003, his son's birthday. Barbret and Hale ended their relationship about a year ago, but remained close. She said she will keep his memory alive for their son. "We're going to make sure there are plenty of tapes and photographs around for him, so that there are lots of memories," she said. | |||||
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22 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| When the deli where Nicholas Blodgett worked went out of business, he looked for a job in security. "But they wanted people with military experience," said Paula Blodgett, his step-grandmother. "He'd always wanted to either be in the military or a cop, so he joined the Army." Blodgett, 21, of Wyoming, Mich., was killed July 21 in Abdalluyah, Iraq when his patrol vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. Six other soldiers were injured in the blast. Blodgett was a quiet leader at his high school, playing in the school band and taking tae kwon do lessons with his parents Rita and Robert Blodgett Jr. and his brother, Matthew, 20. "What I remember about him is that he returned the year after graduation to help out with the color guard," said school principal Steve Passinault. "He wanted to find a way to stay involved." Blodgett, who was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany, had been home for a visit in November and was excited about going overseas. His family had been looking forward to another visit in August. | |||||
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38 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Sgt. Trevor A. Blumberg always gave 100 percent in everything he did, whether it was playing football or hitting the books or serving his country. "He never complained if you gave him an extra task," said Gary Brokas, his high school marketing teacher. "He would never, ever say `It's somebody else's job,' or `I'm busy.'" Blumberg, 22, of Canton, Ohio, was killed Sept. 14 by a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq. He was a paratrooper stationed at Fort Bragg. Blumberg was small for an offensive lineman on his high school football team, standing about 5 feet 7 inches and weighing about 165 pounds. Still, he worked harder than anyone else on the team, said Bob Cummings, the team's offensive coordinator. "He pushed other players on the field to do their best," Cummings said. Blumberg was so well thought of by his fellow soldiers that his death broke their morale, said Staff Sgt. Kyle Foster. "He always smiled, always carried on," Foster said. | |||||
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Spc. Artimus Brassfield struggled to make it through school, but always kept his focus on two main ambitions: to play basketball and join the military. "He made it through high school," said Brassfield's father, Cary, of Flint, Mich. "He got himself together." Brassfield, 22, who was based at Fort Hood, died Oct. 24 in a mortar attack as he played basketball at his Iraq military base. "He was just a sitting duck," Cary Brassfield said, but added that his son "died doing what he loved. He loved basketball, and he loved the Army." Born in Mississippi, Brassfield grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and moved to Flint to live with his father when he was 14. He joined the Army in March 2001 after his high school graduation, and married his wife, Andrea, the following August. He is also survived by a brother. | |||||
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25 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Joshua T. Brazee was a computer whiz, and if he didn't make the machines sing and dance, he came close. "He could make them talk and squeak," said his father, Kevin. "He would step up (upgrade) the computers on his own." Brazee, 25, of Sand Creek, Mich., died May 23 in Qaim, Iraq, of non-combat-related injuries. He was based at Fort Carson. Brazee was a good student and played football in high school. After graduating in 1998, Brazee joined the Navy as a way to go to college. "He was looking for education to further him in life," said his father. "The Navy offered the best program." He was in the Navy for four years and tried to find a job in his hometown, to no avail. His father said at that point his son decided to re-enlist, this time in the Army. He planned to go to college and study computers and engineering after he finished his tour in Iraq. "That was something he was training to do through the Army," his father said. Brazee is also survived by his mother, Teresa. | |||||
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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28 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A Fort Carson soldier died in a non-combat equipment accident in Iraq, the military and his family said. Spc. Brock L. Bucklin, 28, of Grand Rapids, Mich., died Wednesday in Balad, the military said Friday. His father, Duane Bucklin of Caledonia, Mich., told The Grand Rapids Press in Friday's editions that soldiers were lifting equipment when a chain broke and hit him in the neck. Brock Bucklin had been in Iraq since December and often was assigned to help set up and maintain communications, his father said. Brock Bucklin's twin brother Brad is also in the Army in Germany and plans to escort his brother's remains home to Michigan from Dover Air Force Base, Del., their mother, Dawn Bucklin, told the newspaper. "He and Brock made a promise if anything ever happened, they would carry their brother off the plane," Dawn Bucklin said. "He did not want to break that promise." Brock Bucklin was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. At least 153 Fort Carson soldiers have been killed in Iraq. Tom Walters, who coached Bucklin during his high school years said both brothers wrestled and ran cross-country at Forest Hills Central High School. The brothers wrestled at 100 pounds and were called "spider monkeys" for their ability to pull off amazing moves. "They are identical twins, and I'm talking personalties and everything else," he said. Walters said the high school was plunged into mourning as word circulated among the teachers that one of the memorable pair was dead. "It's devastating here," Walters said. ___ Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com -- Brock L. Bucklin was seldom seen without his twin brother, Brad, a soldier serving in Germany. Weighing in at about 100 pounds, the boys were called the "spider monkeys" for their ability to pull off amazing wrestling moves with their small bodies. "They are identical twins, and I'm talking personalities and everything else," said Tom Walters, who coached the Bucklins during their high school years. Brock Bucklin, 28, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was fatally injured May 31 when a chain hoist snapped. A 1997 high school graduate, he was assigned to Fort Carson. "He could make friends immediately with anybody," said Capt. Sterling Packer. "In fact he would be your friend whether you wanted him to or not. He had that effect on people. He had the uncanny ability to make friends instantaneously regardless of rank, status or nationality. The Bucklin twins were born minutes apart and Brock was inspired to enlist in 2004, deciding what was good enough for Brad, who had joined the Army about a year before, was good enough for him. He also is survived by his parents Duane and Dawn, and a son, Jacob Alexander. | |||||
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35 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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21 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Joanne Burri says her son Eric thought of his time in the Army as an adventure, much the same as his trip to Uruguay several years ago as an exchange student. "He was an adventurous boy. He wanted to see the world," she said. Eric T. Burri, 21, of Wyoming, Mich., was killed June 7 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Bragg. Burri loved to travel, learn languages and meet people. He joined the Army the year he graduated from high school. His enthusiasm and love for his country convinced his best friend, Patrick Sova, to join the military as well. "He was outgoing and wanted to serve his country, and I wanted to be a part of that too," Sova said. While overseas, Burri leaned on his trust in God and was looking forward to returning home. "He wanted to get back, get it done, because he was due to come back in October," said Patrick's father, Bruce Sova. "He just wanted to start his life." Burri is survived by his parents, John and Joanne. | |||||
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Pfc. Damian S. Bushart came from a family of proud military men. His father served in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm, his grandfather and an uncle in World War II and Korea. So nobody was too suprised when Bushart enlisted in August 2002. "We are warriors. We took an oath to follow our orders from the commander in chief and that's what we do," said his father, John "Skip" Bushart. Bushart, 22, was killed Nov. 22 when a tank collided with his vehicle in Baghdad. He grew up in Waterford Township, Mich., playing football in high school and serving in the Civil Air Patrol. He was a personable young man, family say, with friends who loved him dearly. He "was an outstanding person," said longtime friend Chip Taylor." I loved this guy. I'd do anything for him, and he'd do anything for me." Survivors include his wife and young son. | |||||
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28 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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20 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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20 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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36 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Capt. Paul J. Cassidy had made a life out of helping people in troubled regions. His mission to Iraq with the Army Reserves was similar to previous duties in Kosovo, Bosnia and Kuwait, where he distributed food and blankets, and helped reconstruct power grids, improve phone lines, re-establish farms, provide water and repair houses. "He was basically in there to help people, doing humanitarian deeds, the nice things," Meridian Township clerk Mary Helmbrecht said. Cassidy, 36, of Laingsburg, Mich., died July 13 as a result of non-combat injuries in Iraq. Helmbrecht said Cassidy's involvement with the humanitarian aspects of war and his dedication to his work reflected his personality. "He had an outstanding dry wit," she said. "He was just an incredibly dedicated, detail-oriented, phenomenal employee." | |||||
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Â By insisting on accomplishing everything on his own, Luis J. Castillo was an inspiration to his nieces and nephew. Â "He wouldn't let anybody do anything for him. He wanted to do it for himself," said his niece, Adelaida Suarez. "He was a very good role model." Â Castillo, 20, of Lawton, Mich., died Jan. 20 of gunshot wounds while on patrol in Anbar province. He was assigned to Lansing. Â Born in Mexico City, Castillo moved with his family to Michigan when he was 3. He graduated high school in 2004. Â Castillo was known for his love of dancing and an ability to light up a room with his sense of humor. "He was funny," said his sister-in-law, Rosemary Suarez. Â "He was a friendly person, a person that you could rely on. He was a happy person, very athletic, and he always enjoyed going to dance parties," said his older brother, Juan Suarez. "His goal was to be somebody in life and to become a cop." Â Pilar Castillo has many fond memories of her younger brother. A recent one involved a July going-away party for him at an amusement park when he decided to bungee jump. Â He also is survived by his mother, Raquel Garcia. | |||||
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21 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| After Nicholas O. Cherava's mother bought him an American flag for Christmas when he was 8, he discovered that his mom didn't get the largest size. So she exchanged it for him. "I've never forgotten that," recalled Sharon Cherava. "Here he was 8 years old, and he wanted a bigger flag. He was always patriotic." Cherava, 21, of Ontonagon, Mich., was killed Oct. 6 by a bomb near Karmah. He joined the Marines in 2003 after graduating from high school and was assigned to Camp Lejeune. While growing up on a cattle farm in the Upper Peninsula, he would disappear into the woods, usually dressed in camouflage. "I used to worry sick about him," Sharon Cherava said. "He'd be gone for hours, but he always found his way back." Known as "Chevy" at school, his personality was so persuasive he convinced six other friends to join the Marines. He also was proud of his Albanian heritage, and wore an Albanian flag tattooed on his chest. "He was good for morale," said his sister, Cheryl Cherava. "That's what his platoon leader told us when he called. Everyone looked to him." His father died five years ago of cancer. | |||||
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42 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| The last time Staff Sgt. Thomas W. Christensen called his oldest brother from Iraq, he was relatively upbeat about life in a war zone. "He had no complaints about being in Iraq. Other than it was kind of hot in the summer," said Chris Christensen, of Detroit. In the last call, he said "they were shooting at him a lot less. It wasn't so hot. He wanted me to send him some coffee." The coffee was in the mail when the family got the news that Christensen, 42, had died in a Dec. 25 mortar attack on his living quarters. He was with an Army Reserve bridge-building unit. Christensen joined the Army around 1981 and left in 1994, becoming a reservist, his father said. About two years ago, he moved to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he worked as a carpenter and spent his free time hunting and fishing. Survivors include his father, also named Thomas, and his mother. | |||||
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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34 | Navy | Dead | U.S. | |
| Earlier this year, Paul J. Darga spent more than two weeks of leave visiting his mother, who was dying of cancer. He'd been given the option of going to Michigan to see her while she was still alive, or returning to the United States for her funeral. Â "He needed the time with her when she could talk," said his wife, Karie. "They had some wonderful conversations. He treasured that time." Â Darga, 34, of Lansing, Mich., died Aug. 22 from an explosive in Anbar province. He was assigned to Virginia Beach and was on his fourth tour. Â Darga started his 16-year Navy career as a Seabee, then trained for diving, was a Navy SEAL and attended jump school. He then trained as an explosives specialist. Â In his free time, Darga enjoyed woodworking and tinkering on his beloved green 1995 Mustang. Â During a six-month deployment that ended in February 2005, Darga oversaw 163 ordnance disposal missions, supervised the disposal of more than 6,000 pounds of captured explosives, and his team defused 40 improvised explosive devices. His unit was awarded a Bronze Star for Valor. Â He also is survived by his 2-year-old daughter, Kailee Rose. | |||||
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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42 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A postcard that Donald N. Davis wrote to his wife Linda's coworkers arrived just hours after they got word of his death. In it, he thanked them for a care package of Kool-Aid, gum and snacks. Then he added a P.S.: "Take good care of Linda, she's one of a kind." Davis, 42, of Saginaw, Mich., died Aug. 24 when a tractor and a tanker trailer rolled over an embankment. He was based in Zanesville, Ohio. The father of two teenage girls, Davis had been in Iraq since late last year. "He was a very dedicated family man," his brother Alan Davis said. "Whatever it took to make kids happy, he did it." Davis came from a military family and enlisted after graduating from high school. His father, Bill Davis, is a veteran, as are many of his siblings. "We are a very patriotic family that believes in serving in the military," Alan Davis said. "We may not be the best Americans, but we believe we're good Americans." | |||||
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Once after he had gotten into an argument with his wife over a historical event, Evan Allen West decided to consult his roommate. He got more than he bargained for from Brian K. Derks. "He wound up writing an entire essay," West said. "I will always miss his insight and wisdom he gave me daily." Derks, 21, of White Cloud, Mich., died Aug. 13 in a bomb blast in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Irwin. He graduated from high school in 2003, where he served as the captain of the Quiz Bowl team and brought it to nationals. "Consistently Brian would buzz in before a question was even half done," said retired teacher Tony McHattie. "He just had vast knowledge in all sorts of areas. He had an astute mind." Capt. Jarrod P. Wickline said Derks was originally turned down by an Army recruiter because Derks was 100 pounds overweight. "He took that as a personal challenge," said Wickline. Derks then lost the weight _ in three months. "There is no doubt to me that by sheer will power alone he could be anything he wanted to be," he said. He is survived by his parents, Peggy and Keith, and his fiancee, Nikki Crans. | |||||
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25 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A soldier from this Army post south of Tacoma who helped install armor on Stryker vehicles has died in his second assignment to Iraq, military officials announced. Â Sgt. Gabriel G. DeRoo, 25, of Paw Paw, Mich., a member of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, was killed when his unit came under small-arms fire Sunday in Mosul, said Army officials said. DeRoo was the first person from the Stryker brigade to die since the unit left in June for a second-yearlong deployment in Iraq. Â His father-in-law, the Rev. Mark Suko of Discovery Baptist Church in Gig Harbor, said Tuesday that when DeRoo was on post he regularly attended services with his wife Hannah, whom he married in December 2004, and their little son Gabriel. Â "He always sent gifts home and flowers to honor his family and wife while he was away," Suko said. Â "He was a Christian young man of uncommon integrity, character and valor," he added. "He was my inspirational prayer partner, and he was my son-in-law as well." Â DeRoo graduated in 1999 from Grace Christian School in Watervliet, Mich., and attended community college before surprising his family by enlisting in the Army in January 2003 rather than going into law enforcement, his older sister, Angel, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Â "He told the family after he signed the papers," she said. "He was very proud of what he did, and once he made the decision we were as well." Â As a private first-class DeRoo participated in the brigade's first deployment to Iraq, said Erin Benson, a spokeswoman at Fort Lewis. Â DeRoo's father, David G. DeRoo, teaches mathematics at a junior high school in Decatur, Mich., and an 8th grade class adopted his Stryker unit as pen pals in 2004. Â "He was so good at writing letters. He made an effort to do that. If anybody wrote to him, he would be quick to find time between his two hours of sleep in Iraq to write one back," his sister said. Â Before arriving in Iraq in 2003 DeRoo was part of a team that installed slat armor on the Stryker vehicles in Kuwait amid skepticism by some soldiers were skeptical about how effective the 5,200-pound steel cages would be against rocket-propelled grenades. Â "It sounds good to me," DeRoo told The News Tribune of Tacoma at the time. "I mean, any extra armor is good." Â The slat armor has provided sufficient protection against most RPGs and remains in use on Strykers in Iraq. Â On Sunday, however, officials said DeRoo was out of his vehicle and on foot when he was shot. Â ___ Â Information from: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, http://www.seattle-pi.com/ -- Even while Army chaplains were delivering the news that Gabriel G. DeRoo had died, a florist arrived with a bouquet of flowers for his wife, Hannah. Â "He always sent gifts home and flowers to honor his family and wife while he was away," said the Rev. Mark Suko, DeRoo's father-in-law. "He didn't want people to be concerned about him. He was more concerned about his family and his wife." Â DeRoo, 25, of Paw Paw, Mich., died Aug. 20 in Mosul from small-arms fire. He was assigned to Fort Lewis and was on his second tour. Â He graduated high school in 1999 and attended community college before surprising his family by enlisting in the Army in January 2003. Â "I overheard my dad telling someone today that if you could list all the good qualities you would want in yourself, Gabe would trump anybody. He was that great of a person," said his older sister, Angel. Â He also is survived by an 8-month-old son, Gabriel. Â "He was so good at writing letters. He made an effort to do that. If anybody wrote to him, he would be quick to find time between his two hours of sleep in Iraq to write one back," said Angel. | |||||
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26 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Jason Feasel, Michael A. Dickinson II's best friend, was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in July 2003. When Dickinson returned from Iraq that month, his first stop was Feasel's hospital room. Â "It meant a lot to see him coming through the door," Feasel said. "He would do anything for anyone just like he did for his country." Â Dickinson, 26, of Battle Creek, Mich., was killed by a sniper July 17 in Ramadi. He was assigned to Fort Bragg and was on his third tour. He had also served two tours in Afghanistan. Â A 1998 high school graduate, Dickinson played percussion in band, and was an athlete, playing football, basketball and tennis. His mother noted that he was quite popular with the girls. Â "He was a cutie pie," said Vicki Dickinson. Â Dickinson, who had begun studying to be a physician's assistant, was also survived by his wife, Glorygrace; a 2-year-old daughter, Abigail; and four stepchildren. Â During his visit with Feasel, Dickinson left a gift. Â "He had just bought a DVD player and he said, 'Hey man, you got a better use for this.' And I watched a ton of DVDs. He would give you the shirt off his back," said Feasel. | |||||
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31 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A 31-year-old Michigan Army National Guard soldier who spent nearly eight months trying to recover from burn injuries suffered in Iraq has died. Â Sgt. Duane Dreasky, of Novi, died Monday at a military hospital in Texas, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday. He had been recovering from third-degree burns on more than 75 percent of his body after an improvised explosive device blew up near his humvee Nov. 21. Four other soldiers from the Saginaw-based Company B, 125th Infantry Regiment also died from that attack. Â "He went out with so much dignity," his wife, Mandeline Dreasky, told The Detroit News. "He fought and defied death four times. We had hoped that he would make it." Â Dreasky, a former high school football player and martial arts enthusiast, has been at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio for nearly eight months. There, Dreasky benefited from treatment at an Army burn center and got a bedside visit from President Bush in January. Â Dreasky had always had wanted to join the military but was denied due to knee problems, Mandeline Dreasky said. He was admitted to the National Guard in June 2003 and stationed in Cuba for a year. When he returned in 2004, he served as a full-time recruiter before volunteering to go to Iraq. Â In the Nov. 21 explosion, Pfc. John Dearing, 21, of Hazel Park, died instantly. Three other soldiers later died from their injuries: Sgt. Spencer Akers, 35, of Traverse City, Sgt. Matthew A. Webber, 23, of Stanwood, and Sgt. Joshua V. Youmans, 26, of Genesee County's Flushing Township. Â A total of seven soldiers from the 125th Infantry have died in Iraq. The unit returned home last month. Â Funeral arrangements for Dreasky were pending. Â ___ Â Information from: The Detroit News, http://www.detnews.com -- When President Bush came to Duane J. Dreasky's hospital bedside, the injured soldier struggled to mark the occasion. Â "He tried to salute, and the president said, 'You don't need to salute, I need to salute you,'" said his wife, Mandeline. "He was so proud and I was emotional for him. Bush is his hero." Â Dreasky, 31, of Novi, Mich., died July 10 at the Brooke Army Medical Center of injuries from a bomb that exploded near his Humvee in Habbaniyah in November. He was assigned to Lansing. Â The former high school football player and martial arts enthusiast suffered third-degree burns over 75 percent of his body when a bomb exploded near his Humvee on Nov. 2. Â He scuba dived, sky dived, ran track and wrestled. He also became a marital arts instructor, working out of Michigan Martial Arts in Farmington Hills. Â He was stationed for a year in Cuba and returned in November 2004 to became a full-time National Guard recruiter. He volunteered to be deployed to Iraq. Â "They needed him, and he felt like he should go," his wife said. | |||||
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28 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Charles A. Drier was coming home in July for a joyous occasion: He would walk his mother down the aisle for her second marriage. "He wasn't just my son," said his mother, Mary. "He was my best friend. I'll miss his smile, his compassion." Drier, 28, of Tuscola, Mich., was killed May 24 when an explosive detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad. He was based at Fort Stewart. Drier played football in high school and was known as a generous natural leader. "He liked structure, discipline, tradition," said his former coach, Tim Travis. The 1995 high school graduate enlisted in the Army in 2001 after stints as a cook and roofer. He saw the Army as a chance for college and a new career. "He felt like his life was going nowhere," Mary Drier said. "There's nothing but dead-end jobs around here. He wanted his life to have a purpose, to have some meaning." He aspired to be a writer. "He was an avid reader and talked about writing a book," his mother said. "Fiction. He sent me some pages, and I was very impressed. I was looking forward to reading more, but..." | |||||
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| The last time Justin M. Ellsworth's grandparents saw him was at their 50th wedding anniversary party in July. Ellsworth left in September for Iraq and was killed Nov. 13 by a roadside bomb in Fallujah. "It's really hard to accept," his grandmother, Sue Ellsworth, said, "He was so sure everything was going to be fine. ... He was doing what he believed in. He said, 'We're saving lives every day.'" Ellsworth, 20, of Mount Pleasant, Mich., was assigned to Camp Pendleton, Calif. Ellsworth played football and hockey in high school and enjoyed riding horses and bulls and skiing in the Rocky Mountains. He was proud of his role in the U.S. assault on Fallujah, his father said. "The last few weeks, he had been pulled out of his platoon and placed with a reconnaissance unit," Ellsworth's father, police Sgt. John Ellsworth, said, "Justin was very proud of the fact that he was chosen for this special duty." He is also survived by his mother, Tracy Ross. | |||||
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22 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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41 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| The next care package being prepared for Gregory J. Fester contained a pink and yellow, flower-shaped dog toy for a pup he had adopted. "I'd be talking on the phone and I'd hear him say, 'Oh, hi, Snowball,'" said his wife, Julie Fester. "It was like no dog I'd ever seen _ white and straggly." Fester, 41, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was killed Aug. 30 by a bomb blast in Iskandariyah. He was based at Fort Bragg. The rest of the care package offered a picture of Fester: his three favorite magazines _ National Geographic, Car & Driver and Popular Mechanics _ and DVDs of the movie "Coach Carter" and the first two seasons of "Seinfeld." His wife also planned to send him a book of constellations. He loved the night sky and was always pointing out the Big and Little Dippers. "He said the sky was so clear over there," she said of Iraq. "You could see even more of the constellations." He attended Ohio State University and served in the Army for 8 1/2 years, including a stint in Operation Desert Storm, before taking a job in pharmaceutical sales at Pfizer Inc. He also is survived by his children Jenni, 16; Megan, 13; and Peyton, 6. | |||||
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A soldier who died after being injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq saw limited opportunities growing up in Grand Rapids, something that pushed him to join the military, his uncle said. Â Sgt. Al'Kaila Floyd, a 23-year-old combat engineer, was injured July 8 when the armored vehicle in which he was riding struck the explosive device. He died Thursday at a hospital in Germany, family members told The Grand Rapids Press for a story published Tuesday. Â Floyd's twin brother, Al'Jaila, his two sisters and his grandmother, who raised him, were an hour away from reaching him at his hospital bed when he died, said Glenn Floyd, the soldier's uncle. Â Al'Kaila Floyd was assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade in Bamberg, Germany, according to a statement on his death issued Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Defense. Â Floyd joined the Army in 2001 soon after graduating from Ottawa Hills High School, where he was in the Junior ROTC program for four years, his uncle said. Â "He was going to make a career of it, thought that was the way for him to advance," Glenn Floyd said. Â "We're all real proud of him. We're takin' it tough right now." Â Lisa Frain, the mother of a friend of the soldier, said word of his death was painful. Â "I just got sick when I found out," Frain said. "This was a good kid and it hits home when it happens to someone you know." Â Spc. Elisabeth Krenz, a 21-year-old nurse, said Al'Kaila Floyd was a mentor of hers when she started Junior ROTC at Ottawa Hills. Now based in Indiana, she received a pass to return home this week to serve in a color guard for her friend. Â "You could always count on him to be there for you if you needed," Krenz said. "I plan on being there for him. I owe him and he deserves everybody's last respects." Â Floyd paid attention to every member of the program and used positive reinforcement to push them to improve. If someone was feeling down, he'd cheer them up, she said. Â "He was so full of life that it makes it hard to believe he could die," Krenz said. Â ___ Â Information from: The Grand Rapids Press, http://www.mlive.com/grpress -- For four years, Zelmar Hall watched as Al'Kaila T. Floyd excelled in Junior ROTC, in school and on the wrestling mat. Â "You could tell that this kid was a go-getter and a gentleman," said Hall, a retired master sergeant. "There wouldn't be anything that held him back, but at the same time, he did things a lot of folks his age don't. He'd open doors for women and treat everyone with respect. It made him stand out." Â Floyd, 23, of Grand Rapids, Mich., died July 13 in a German hospital of injuries from an explosive on July 8 in Ramadi. He was on his second tour and was assigned to Bamberg, Germany. Â Floyd was a 2001 high school graduate and was a member of the wrestling team. He also was a member of the high school's inaugural team in the FIRST Robotics competition, helping the group achieve a top-10 finish in a regional competition. Â He joined the military partly because he saw limited job opportunities in Grand Rapids, said his uncle, Glenn Floyd. "He was going to make a career of it. We're all real proud of him." Â He is survived by his grandmother, Charlene Tatum, who raised him and his siblings after their mother died. | |||||
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34 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Sgt. 1st Class Bradley C. Fox planned on finishing his tour in Iraq and then re-enlisting as a recruiter in the Midwest. He wanted to retire from the Army with 20 years of service. His uncle, Jim Aldrich, called Fox a "dedicated military professional who wanted to finish his career in the military and live a successful civilian life. ... He had a real good life planned for him and his family." The 34-year-old from Orlando, Fla., died April 20 in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries from a March 14 roadside bomb explosion. He was based in Friedburg, Germany. Fox, a veteran of the 1991 Gulf War, was was working toward a master's degree with the intent of becoming a college instructor, either teaching military science or ROTC. He was two months short of ending his tour in Iraq. Fox grew up an only child in Adrian, Mich., where his mother still lives. "He always took care of me, always made sure that I had everything that I needed," said his mother, Pat Dartt. Survivors also include Fox's wife, Sabine, and their three children. | |||||
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24 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Craig S. Frank was an avid reader who joined the military because he wanted to serve his country and help pay off student loans. "He didn't want to burden us with payments," said his father, Timothy Frank. His son was studying education at Eastern Michigan University. Frank, 24, of Lincoln Park, Mich., was killed near Baghdad when his convoy vehicle hit an explosive device. He was assigned to the Army National Guard in Pontiac, Mich. Linda Frank described her son as an avid reader, who took 15 books with him when he went to Iraq. "The guys would tease him and say they hadn't read 15 books in their entire lives," she said. "He would read anything that had words," said his older brother, Tim Frank. Frank had returned home from June 10 to July 3 to be with his father, who was undergoing open-heart surgery. He returned to Iraq for his second extension of duty and was scheduled for return to the United States on Aug. 11. | |||||
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29 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Marine Pfc. Juan Garza attended elementary and middle school in San Benito, Texas, and moved to Temperance, Mich., to live with his aunt. He graduated from high school in Temperance in 2002 and joined the Marines that July. Garza, 20, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was killed in action April 8. Garza married Casey Cole Garza, who is in the Army, the day after last Christmas. He was going to make the military his career. "He was a kid that school came very hard for," said his aunt, Jodi Bucher, "but he really wanted to be a Marine. He studied and studied and studied." | |||||
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48 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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32 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Army Spc. Richard A. Goward served on active duty with the Army from 1990 to 1996, then joined the Michigan National Guard after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "He told me, `If I can't protect my family, then who can?,'" said Goward's wife, Karen. Goward was killed April 14 in Iraq when his truck entered a dust cloud and collided with another truck. Goward's survivors also include two daughters, ages 8 and 5. "Ric was a wonderful husband and father," his wife said. "He enjoyed jujitsu (a form of martial arts) and outdoor activities." | |||||
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Nicholas J. Greer was only about 2 when he decided he was going to be a paratrooper. It was a decision made after taking a ride in a helicopter during an air show. "He said, 'Momma, I'm going to jump out of these one day. I'm going to be a soldier,'" recalled his mother, Kelly Greer. Greer, 21, of Monroe, Mich., was killed Oct. 7 in Haqlaniyah when his patrol was attacked by small-arms fire. He was assigned to Fort Bragg. He had attended high school and earned his general educational diploma. He played paintball and had been the drummer in a heavy metal garage band. After high school, he worked for a local greenhouse. Greer enlisted in September 2004 and was stationed in Afghanistan before going to Iraq, where he served as a sniper marksman and helicopter search and rescue specialist. He had planned to attend college and pursue a career in computers. At 19, he had built from scratch a $6,000 computer. After the 2001 attacks, he told his mother he wanted to fight terrorism. Other survivors include his father, Gary, and stepfather, Donald. "He was my best friend," Kelly Greer said. | |||||
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31 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| If you were hurt in Iraq, Sean Grimes' face was the one you wanted to see at the hospital. He enjoyed treating both Iraqi citizens and U.S. soldiers. "He felt in Iraq that he was making a positive difference, especially since he was providing medical services to Iraqi civilians as well as American soldiers," said Henry Kearney, a family spokesman. Grimes, 31, of Southfield, Mich., died March 4 in Ramadi when a bomb detonated near his patrol. He was assigned to Fort Carson. He earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Michigan State University in 1997. During his 13-year career in the military, Grimes held several medical service positions, including emergency nurse and physician assistant. Grimes loved his job because it allowed him to travel. When he was stationed in Germany, he explored most of Europe, Kearney said. While in Korea, Grimes visited Japan and China. He loved all kinds of music and dancing with friends, Kearney said. He is survived by his parents, Mary and Donald. | |||||
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22 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Michael Hanks had a reputation in high school for standing up for himself _ and his friends. That reputation stuck through two tours in Iraq, where he was known as a joker who was always willing to keep up morale. "He was always standing up for the guys there," said Melissa Gladstone, his sister. "He had everyone's back _ that sums it up." Hanks, 22, of Gregory, Mich., was killed Nov. 17 in an attack outside Fallujah. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Ed Alverson, the superintendent of the school Hanks attended, described him as a "high-energy kid" who had always wanted to serve in the military. Don Buggia, his high school principal, agreed and said he was not surprised that Hanks joined the Marines _ or volunteered for a second tour. "Once he made up his mind on something, he stuck with it," Buggia said. | |||||
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28 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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41 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| David A. Hartman was a 21-year veteran of the military and a dedicated family man. "My brother was a family man, a hard worker, very dedicated to the military. It was his job," said Bill Hartman. "He was one of those people you could call and you could count on being there when you called." Hartman, 41, of Akron, Mich., was killed July 17 when the vehicle he was driving was hit by an explosive device in Beiji. He was stationed at Battle Creek, Mich. A truck driver for an agricultural company in civilian life, Hartman was a veteran of the first Gulf War. His brother said he developed Gulf War Syndrome and could have asked for a medical discharge. "But he didn't try to get out," Bill Hartman said. "When he saw all the people who were going over there, he told me he wanted to join them, and lead by example." He leaves behind a wife, Robbin; a 21-year-old son, Benjamin; and an 18-year-old daughter, Heather. | |||||
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43 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Stephen C. Hattamer enjoyed weight lifting, water skiing and snow skiing, but he was famous for his chocolate cake _ using his mother's recipe. Staff Sgt. Hattamer, 43, was killed Dec. 25 when his living quarters in Baqouba, Iraq, came under mortar attack. His Army Reserve unit was based in Ellsworth, Wis., and he lived in Sawyer, Mich., where he was an active member of Victory Lutheran Church. Hattamer had previously served as an a military policeman for 16 years and was also a member of the Marine and Army Reserves for nine years. Survivors include his wife, Karen, and children, Bryce, Alyssa and Tyler. | |||||
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19 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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25 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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35 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A soldier from Michigan died after an improvised explosive device blew up near his M1 Abrams tank in Iraq, the military said. Spc. Walter B. Howard II, 35, who grew up in Macomb County's Clinton Township, was married about two years ago and re-enlisted in the military last summer to help provide a steady income for his family, said his mother, Carolyn. He and his wife have a 15-month-old daughter and now live on base at Fort Carson, Colo., family members said. "I feel he should be honored as a hero," Carolyn Howard said Saturday. "He was going to make a career out of the military. He wouldn't even tell us the danger he was in," she said. Howard died in Balad on Thursday of injuries sustained that day in the blast in Ashraf, the Defense Department said in a statement issued late Friday. Howard joined the Navy a few months after graduating from Fraser High School. He returned to Michigan three years later, but stayed in the active reserves and frequently went on exercises while working with computers in the automobile design field, his family said. After meeting his wife at work and getting married, the couple moved to nearby Rochester. Their daughter was born in November 2004. Because he experienced several layoffs in his field, Howard decided to join the Army. His father, Walter B. Howard, said his son was one or two classes away from getting an associate's degree in a computer field. He was working toward a four-year degree so he could become an Army officer, Howard said. The parents were told of his death by their daughter-in-law, who telephoned from Colorado on Thursday. Later that night, uniformed soldiers came to the parents' Clinton Township home, said Carolyn Howard. "There's something about you seeing that person at the door and you know it's final," she said. Howard was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. -- Walter B. Howard II's father served in both the Navy and Army, so it made sense his son would follow in his bootsteps. "He loved his country and believed in what he was doing _ defending our country," said his mother, Carolyn Howard. "No mother wants their son to go to war, but I respected what he was doing." He worked as a newspaper carrier in junior high and at a Farmer Jack grocery store in high school. In the Navy, he was a gunner's mate, serving on the USS Coral Sea, part of a long line of military men, including his father, Walter B. Howard. He attended Macomb County Community College after leaving the Navy, taking classes in computers and was a class shy of graduating. He returned to civilian life and became an automotive designer in suburban Detroit, contracting his services out to the Big Three automakers. He also is survived by his wife, Jamie, and daughter, Katherine, 1. "He loved his daughter and used to rock her to sleep every night before bed," said Carolyn Howard. | |||||
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32 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| An Army staff sergeant from Michigan has been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, his family said in a statement. Curtis T. Howard II, 32, was on his second tour in Iraq as a member of the Army's 4th Infantry Division when the incident occurred. The Army had not released details of Howard's death, but it said on Thursday that three 4th Infantry soldiers were killed Wednesday when their vehicle struck a bomb near Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad. Friends and family members gathered Thursday afternoon at the Ann Arbor home of Howard's parents, Curtis and Linda. John Woods, a family friend, read a statement saying the family was devastated by Howard's death. "Curtis loved the military. He was a wonderful son, father and brother. This was the career he chose. We certainly respect and honor his choice," Woods said. The minister at Howard's church, Bethel AME, recently read a letter from Howard to the congregation, said Joetta Mial, former principal at Huron High School, from where Howard graduated in 1991. "It was about a friend of his that was just killed and he wrote, `Say a prayer for his parents,'" said Mial, a church member. "I got the funniest feeling. It was, `My gosh. I hope he hurries up and gets home,'" Mial told The Ann Arbor News. Edward Klum, an assistant coach when Howard played on Huron's basketball team, remembered Howard taking responsibility for a loss in a big game. "Right after the game, he came up to me and said, `Coach. I didn't play hard enough,'" Klum said. "That's just the kind of kid he was." ___ Information from: The Ann Arbor News, http://www.mlive.com/aanews -- Howard, a 13-year Army veteran and father of three, remained a dedicated parent even though he was separated from his two sons and daughter, Howard's father, Curtis Howard told The Gazette in a phone interview. He was on his second tour in Iraq. "He said it was going to be a rough year over there but he thought he would make it through," the elder Howard said. "He's a great dad and you can't ask for more than that in your kids." Howard joined the Army after spending one year at an Alabama college, blossoming amid the rigor of Army life, the elder Howard said. -- Edward Klum, an assistant high school basketball coach, remembers Curtis T. Howard II taking responsibility for a loss in a big game. "Right after the game, he came up to me and said, `Coach. I didn't play hard enough,'" Klum said. "That's just the kind of kid he was." "He was very caring about what was going on and conscientious about his academics so that he would be prepared for whatever he wanted to do after high school," said Patricia Manley, who was Howard's counselor. Howard once single-handedly scored 49 points in a basketball game. Joetta Mial, his former principal, said a letter that Howard sent home from Iraq was read recently at his church. "It was about a friend of his that was just killed and he wrote, 'Say a prayer for his parents,'" said Mial. "But that letter brings out that he wasn't someone out there for himself." Howard is survived by his sons, Dominic, 10, and Christian, 6. | |||||
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24 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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51 | Navy | Dead | U.S. | |
| A Lutheran minister and military chaplain, Edward E. Jack was a favorite among his shipmates aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard. "Everybody loved him," said his wife, Jean. "He didn't have to go on this trip. He volunteered." Jack, 51, of Detroit, died of a heart attack Jan. 29 on the amphibious assault ship in the waters near Iraq. Before reaching Iraq, Jack's ship was part of the U.S. military's tsunami relief. He served in the Navy for 23 years, with three in the Navy reserves. He was due to retire in June. Navy spokesman Lt. Kyle Raines said Jack was most recently based in San Diego, where he was assigned to Commander Destroyer Squadron Seven. "His role was in comforting the sailors and Marines," said his wife, who noted that her husband also served in the war zone in 2003. "He took it because he liked adventure." Jack also is survived by a daughter, Amanda Roggow, and a son, Todd. "Chaplain Jack exemplified an unwavering commitment to Scripture and to service to the men and women of the sea services," said Cmdr. Mark Steiner, a Lutheran chaplain and a longtime friend of Jack's. "He will be dearly missed." | |||||
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29 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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43 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Aaron D. Jagger was a musician who played at memorial services for hundreds of servicemen in Iraq before their bodies came home. Â Now the memorial would be for him. Â Jagger, 43, of Hillsdale, Mich., was killed Aug. 9 in Ramadi when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee. He was assigned to Friedberg, Germany. Â Jagger had been serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. He had previously served two tours in Bosnia and was a tank commander during the Persian Gulf War. Â A guitarist and vocalist in his company's band, The Bandits, Jagger recorded the unit's battle hymn, "The Bandit Song." The song was a hit in the battalion and kicked off all unit functions. Â Anson Jagger said his brothers death came on the heels of the loss of their younger brother, Quinn Jagger, who died of brain cancer during Aaron Jagger's first Iraq tour in 2004. Â "Aaron was able to get out of his tour about a month early to come home for that funeral," Anson Jagger said. "It was just devastating to the family." Â He is survived by his wife, Sandra, and daughters, Nicole, 21; Kirsten, 17; Tessa and Ashley, both 13; and Kelly, 11. | |||||
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29 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| As a child, Paul J. Johnson would disappear for hours to play Army around his Calumet, Mich., neighborhood. As a man, he became a respected and decorated soldier. "He said, 'I've got some responsibilities. I need to be back with my men,'" the Rev. David Holloway of Fayettville, N.C., recalled Johnson saying a year ago after service in Afghanistan. "He wanted to get the job done because it was his calling." Staff Sgt. Johnson, 29, was killed Oct. 20 in a roadside ambush 40 miles west of Baghdad. Known as P.J., Johnson joined the Army in 1993, two years after graduating from Calumet High School. He earned more than 30 awards and decorations, including two Bronze Stars, two NATO medals, three humanitarian service medals, two National Defense Service medals, three good conduct medals, French and Russian parachutist badges and a Purple Heart. He is survived by his wife, Mary "Missy" Johnson, and 4-year-old son Bryan. | |||||
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26 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Â Even though he had served three tours in Iraq, Mark D. Kidd was called up to serve again last April. Â "He proudly went back," said family spokeswoman Paige George. "He told his parents 'If I don't go, someone else will have to.' And he went with his head held up in honor." Â Kidd, 26, of Milford, Mich., was fatally shot Jan. 25 while on duty at a checkpoint between Fallujah and Baghdad. He was a 1998 high school graduate and was assigned to Mount Clemens. Â Kidd, who loved jazz music and hanging out with friends, wanted to become an international lawyer and was one semester away from graduating with a pre-law degree from Eastern Michigan University. Â "Mark was very brave. He managed to squeeze three and a half years of studies into an 18-month period," said friend and EMU alumna, Samantha Moody. Â Kidd is survived by his father, Frank, and his mother, Janet. Â "Mark was the very definition of what it means to be a true American. He was proud of his accomplishments, he was completely selfless and would help his fellow man at a moments notice, and he loved his country," Moody said. "Mark will be missed." | |||||
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36 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Ricky A. Kieffer was a homebody who loved nothing more than spending time with his family. "He was a real nice guy," said Al Goodrich, a police sergeant and family friend. "He was a quiet person. You never saw him out a lot. He was either fishing with his dad or at home with his family doing something." Kieffer, 36, of Ovid, Mich., was killed March 15 by small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was based in Detroit. Kieffer married his wife, Patricia, more than 16 years ago and had two children, Dustin and Kira. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. Before he was deployed, Kieffer worked as a mechanic for the Michigan National Guard in Lansing. "He's a hometown hero. He gave his life for what he believed in," Goodrich said. | |||||
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22 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| As a mischievous toddler caught in the act, Andrew Kilpela had an explanation: "Mom, men's to do what men's to do" _ his interpretation of the saying "A man's got to do what a man's got to do." "We still say that when something difficult comes up," said his mother, Cheryl. "Now I can treasure these gray hairs because he gave most of them to me. He was not a boring child." Kilpela, 22, of Fowerville, Mich., died June 10 in an explosion in Saqlawiyah, Iraq. He was based at Camp Lejeune. The fifth of seven children, Kilpela was the family jokester and entertainer. He graduated from high school in 2001 and joined the Marines two years later "to prove it to himself and to those who kept telling him that he couldn't do anything," said his father, Michael. Michael Kilpela said he used to get frustrated because he thought his son didn't plan for the future, but his perspective changed. "I've come to the conclusion that he was a person who did not worry about tomorrow," he said. "He did not regret yesterday, and he filled every moment of today with love and with joy and with passion for life." | |||||
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23 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Everyone describes In C. Kim as a shy young man who tried hard to fit in. "He was quiet and daydreaming," said his uncle, Christopher Kim. "Once I saw a picture he drew. It was a boy lying down on the grass and looking at the sky and daydreaming." Kim, 23, of Warren, Mich., died Dec. 7 in a vehicle accident in Iraq's Anbar Province. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton. After growing up in Seoul, Kim moved to Michigan with his family five years ago. His parents named him In Chul because "In" means "merciful" in Korean and "Chul" means "pride." One day, military recruiters piqued his interest with talk of benefits and travel. He took a test and scored especially high in mathematics. He was a Marine by August 2001, a few months after graduating high school. One of the attractions of the service was its ability to help him learn more about American culture and help with his English. "First of all, he wanted to learn English, then he wanted to learn about America," said his father, Chang Kim. "He wanted to serve his country." He also is survived by mother, Kyoung Kim. | |||||
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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34 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Allan Klein always had an interest in the military _ but he didn't decide to join until the relatively advanced age of 30, after the Sept. 11 attacks. "He felt a calling," said his father, Manfred. Klein, 34, of Clinton Township, Mich., was among the 31 killed Jan. 26 when a helicopter crashed in bad weather in Iraq. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Klein attended Michigan Technological University for three years and held several jobs before deciding to go into the military in October 2001. After the helicopter crash, one of Klein's friends brought his mother, Rae Oldaugh, a letter with instructions for the disposition of his belongings. It also spoke of another, more personal letter intended for his parents that was being kept with his personal effects. "He said his buddies would know where it is and know when to send it," Oldaugh said. "The fact is," she said, "all of his buddies were killed with him." | |||||
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21 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A soldier from suburban Detroit who died in Iraq served his country with the same pride he had in it while growing up, his mother said Thursday. Cpl. Alexander J. Kolasa, 22, of White Lake Township in Oakland County, died of noncombat causes, the Defense Department announced. Kolasa's mother, Kathy, said in a telephone interview that her son was manning a guard tower north of Baghdad on Wednesday when he suffered a heart attack. "It was very sudden," she said. "From the information I got, he collapsed, they performed CPR for 30 minutes, they electroshocked him. Then they helicoptered him out to a hospital, and that's where he died." Asked if family members had any idea that Kolasa had heart problems, Kathy Kolasa said "absolutely none." Alex Kolasa graduated from Lakeland High School in 2003 and joined the Army in June 2004. "He wasn't sure if he wanted to make a career out of it," his mother said. "He wanted to become a mechanic. He knew finances were tight and he knew the Army was the way to do it. "He was incredibly proud of the country he grew up in," Kathy Kolasa said. "When 9/11 happened, he was so incredibly angry, he wanted to do something for the country he grew up in." Kolasa wrote a letter to his family _ one paragraph for each member _ that was to be opened only "in case something happened to him," his mother said. Below his signature he wrote, "Proudly served." Kolasa had been in Iraq for six months. He and his widow, Cari, 27, would have celebrated their first wedding anniversary Monday. "They never got to live together as husband and wife," Kathy Kolasa said. "Her term for him was, `He's incredible.'" Kolasa is also survived by his father, David, and an older sister and brother. His body was expected to be brought to Michigan in seven to 10 days. "It's never going to be easy, and it's never going to be the same," Kolasa's mother said. Kolasa was assigned to the 704th Main Support Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas. -- Alexander J. Kolasa loved tearing up cars _ not necessarily putting them back together. "He liked to consider himself his own special kind of MacGyver," said his mother, Kathy. "He'd say he could make a part, if he didn't have it." Kolasa, 22, of White Lake, Mich., suffered a heart attack and died May 31 while on guard duty in Baghdad. He graduated high school in 2003 and was assigned to Fort Hood. "I'm proud of him," his mother said. "I want the world to know how proud I am." His mother regrets that her son and his wife, Cari McClellan, never had the opportunity to live together. They were married in a hasty civil ceremony just before he deployed. "She never got to be a wife," she said. Kolasa, who loved to fish and skydive, was a mechanics specialist who repaired light trucks and Humvees. After his death, his wife opened an envelope containing a one-page letter the soldier left her in case he never returned. In the letter, Kolasa said he was proud to be a soldier. "He believed in what he was doing," his wife said. "He said the soldiers did not want pity. They were proud to serve." | |||||
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31 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Just three hours before he died, Jason A. Lehto and his wife happened to access their e-mail accounts at the same time and exchanged messages. "He told me he found the perfect house for us to move in to when he got home" in March, Michele Lehto said. Lehto, 31, of Warren, Mich., died Dec. 28 in a non-hostile incident, according to the Defense Department. The family is keeping the details of his death private but described it as an accident. His Marine Reserve unit was based in Mount Clemens, Mich. "We are very sad that he is gone," said Lehto's sister, Angela Krug. Before leaving for Iraq in August, Lehto worked as a service technician for a company in Trenton, his family said. "He was an outstanding young man who loved his family," said his stepfather, Chuck Walsh. "He was gung-ho military and gung-ho American." | |||||
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27 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Michael Lindemuth loved carpentry and hoped to make his hobby a career after he finished with the Marines. "He loved his tools, had a quite a few of them. Those were his pride and joy," said Cpl. Cory Miller, who shared an apartment with Lindemuth. Lindemuth, 27, of Petoskey, Mich., died April 13 after being wounded by mortar fire at Camp Hit in Anbar province. He was based in Akron, Ohio. Lindemuth graduated from a Christian high school in 1996. He was on his second deployment to Iraq and hoped it would bring a promotion. "He pretty much had an upbeat attitude about going back," Miller said. Lindemuth was an outgoing and devout man who attended chapel services several times a week and loved sports, especially soccer and hunting. He was always willing to help those in need. "He was a remarkable young man who always knew what he wanted," said Brenda Nash, a former neighbor. | |||||
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| A 20-year-old Michigan man who was killed when an improvised explosive device blasted his tank in Iraq joined the Marine Corps to pursue his interest in computers, a school counselor says. Lance Cpl. Jason T. Little died Saturday in an explosion near Ferris, Iraq, according to the Pentagon. Little, who was from the Kalamazoo County community of Climax, was serving with the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. "He died doing what he wanted to do," sister Stephanie Little told The Detroit News. "He knew the circumstances of what he was doing, but believed strongly in serving his country. He was scared at times, but handled everything well." He was a 2003 graduate of Climax-Scotts High School and studied computers at Kalamazoo Valley Community College before enlisting. "It is a shock to a small community," Dr. Geoffrey Balkam, superintendent of Climax-Scotts Community Schools, told the Detroit Free Press. "Jason was a fine young man." Balkam said Little was very interested in computer technology. Computers helped him gain confidence and fueled his interest in the Marines, guidance counselor Judi Kingsbury told the Battle Creek Enquirer. "I think he saw it as an avenue to get training in computers," Kingsbury said. "That was something I saw that changed in him from seventh to 12th grade his maturity and confidence." Lisa Rose, 22, of Bellevue said she and Little started dating last summer. She said they met when they worked together at a Meijer store in Battle Creek. Rose said she visited him at Camp Lejeune shortly before his Sept. 17 departure for Iraq and talked with him on the phone before his final mission. "He was always nervous, and he was scared," she said. "You could hear it in his voice. But he always said he would come back." -- Open the cover of Jason T. Little's 2003 yearbook and you'll find a picture of him, laid back and casual, with intense eyes. "I remember mostly a quiet young man," said Ron Ehlers, his former math teacher. "He really had a calming effect on people and he was easy to talk to, but you could tell he had a passion inside him." Little, 20, of Climax, Mich., was killed Jan. 7 when his tank was attacked near Ferris. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune. Lisa Rose, his girlfriend, met Little when they worked together at a Meijer store. "I was a cashier, he was a bagger and he was in love with me," she said. Samantha Lambert, another friend, said Little was kind to everybody: "He would give his heart to anybody." After a year of studying computers at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Little joined the Marines a few weeks after President Bush was re-elected. He had worked on Bush's re-election campaign. Little loved Jeep Wranglers, off-roading and being outdoors. "He loved the beach," Rose said. "He loved country music, but he wasn't much of a dancer." He also is survived by his parents, Thomas and Jackie. | |||||
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Adam Malson began getting interested in current events in middle school _ and that prompted a special nickname. "We used to call him 'little Rush Limbaugh,' he was so conservative," his mother, Debra, said. "My dad was always very political. He adopted those views. He just felt it was important to defend his country." Malson, 23, of Rochester Hills, Mich., was killed Feb. 19 by a suicide bomber in Baghdad while assisting a wounded Iraqi woman on her way to a mosque. He was based at Fort Drum. Malson graduated from Michigan State University in 2003. He played football, wrestled and in high school was recruited for the shot put because of his size. His sister, Amy, said though she was the big sister, he was always the strong one. "We were complete opposites. I used to wonder how we came from the same people. He was always fearless and brave," she said. "He always had to be the best. If he couldn't excel, he didn't want to do it." That included academics, specifically grade point average. "I'm sure that really irked him, that he had a 3.97," she said. He also is survived by his wife, 1st Lt. Lindsey Malson. | |||||
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22 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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22 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Gentian Marku's immigration to the U.S. at the age of 14 transformed him. In Albania, the teenager had been a troublemaker. In Warren, Mich., he quickly grew into a diligent and responsible young man. "Everything changed when I got to the United States," he said in a profile posted on the Pentagon's Web site in 2003. "I started studying. I stayed out of trouble, and I got my first job as a busboy." The 22-year-old was killed on Thanksgiving in Iraq's Anbar province. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C. Marku joined the Marines because he thought it would improve his chances of becoming a police officer. As a student, he befriended Dale Malesh, a police resource officer at the school. "His character was that he loved people and always seemed to be there to want to help," Malesh said. "I feel proud to have been so close to him. He was a great kid and fine American." He is survived by his parents. | |||||
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39 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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26 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| From: BC-MS--Iraq-Mspi Casualty McCoy joined the Army straight out of school and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. His mother, Carol Johnson, of Howell, Mich., told the Daily Press and Argus newspaper in Livingston, Mich., she was proud of her son's choice in joining the service. Â Johnson said the last time she saw McCoy was for Mother's Day, just weeks before he was deployed. She said her son enjoyed snowboarding and had a dry sense of humor. On McCoy's first tour of duty, help helped train Iraqi police, his mother said. Â "He felt they were doing a lot of good there," she said. Â McCoy's survivors include his wife, Lori, and two sons, Logan, 6, and Tyler, 3, who all live in Texas. McCoy will be buried at a national cemetery in Texas, Johnson said. | |||||
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20 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Donald McCune wanted to be a fighter. He named his pets after characters in the fighter-pilot movie "Top Gun," and when the time came, he asked to transfer to a unit that would go to Iraq. "He felt this was something he needed to do, and I'm very proud of what he wanted to do," said his mother, Darcy Lewis. McCune, 20, of Ypsilanti, Mich., died Aug. 5 in Landstuhl, Germany, from injuries he sustained the day before in Balad, Iraq. He was stationed in Moses Lake, Wash. After bouncing through high schools in Indiana and Michigan, McCune had enlisted in the Army by the time he earned his high school equivalency degree in 2002. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, rooting for the Detroit Red Wings, country music and cars. "He was always driving something different," said his grandfather, Rick Monier. "He would play with something and then sell or trade it." McCune is also survived by his father, Donald McCune, and stepfather, Army Sgt. Benjamin Lewis. | |||||
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19 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Pfc. Holly J. McGeogh aimed for the Army from early in high school. She spent four years as a cadet with the JROTC before joining up after she graduated in 2002. "She was totally dedicated to going into the Army _ that was her destiny," said her high school guidance counselor, William Teller. Teller said the uniform she wore to school once a week was festooned with medals. The 19-year-old light-truck mechanic from Taylor, Mich., was killed Jan. 31 when her vehicle struck a homemade explosive device near the northern Iraq city of Kirkuk. She was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. "Holly is another reminder that our freedom truly is not free. Holly and her friends paid the ultimate price for all of us, without complaint or regret," the family said in a statement. | |||||
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0 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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28 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Army Pfc. Jason Meyer graduated from Howell (Mich.) High School in 1999 and joined the Army in 2001. He worked in construction and built decks for family members and loved the outdoors; the family often went on motorcycle trips. Meyer had just celebrated the first year of marriage with his wife, Melissa, and had plans to start a family. "He was always upbeat and happy," said his mother, Kathy Worthington. "He was always a great kid." Meyer, 23, from Howell, Mich., was killed in combat April 8. | |||||
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A 22-year-old from Michigan's Upper Peninsula was among three soldiers killed by an explosion in Iraq over the weekend, the Department of Defense said Monday. Â Army Spc. Joseph P. Micks, 22, of Rapid River, died Saturday in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when a makeshift bomb detonated near his vehicle during combat operations, the Pentagon said. Â Micks was just months away from finishing his tour of Iraq and had plans to build a family with his wife in Germany, his mother, Amy Micks, said in a telephone interview. Â "He wanted to go and make a difference," she said Monday night. "He wanted to help end things. He was a happy kid and always wanted to help others." Â It had been more than a year since Amy Micks and her husband, Kenneth, last saw their son, whom they described as "an all-around good kid." Â Micks was an altar server at the family's church, a Boy Scout, an Eagle Scout, loved to collect sports memorabilia and fixed the computers of neighbors in their tight-knit community, his parents said. Â "He always put forth extra effort in everything that he did," Amy Micks said. Â She said the family has received an overwhelming number of phone calls and visits since his death. Â Micks was assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Warner Barracks, in Bamberg, Germany. Â While serving in Germany, he met and married his wife, Ramona, his mother said. Â "Through her wishes and Joe's wishes, his burial will be in Germany, where they were going to build a family," she said. Â However, Micks' body first will be flown to Michigan for a memorial service at the Gladstone Armory this weekend. Â Micks was deployed for a one-year tour of Iraq in November, but there was talk that he could have been released as early as September, Amy Micks said. Â "He wanted to come home," said his mother, who last spoke to her son two weeks ago. "He saw too much over there _ all of the killing and his friends dying. Â "He was our hero. He stood up for our land and he gave everything he had," she said. "We love him and wish he was here." Â The other soldiers killed in the blast were Staff Sgt. Omar D. Flores, 27, of Mission, Texas, and Spc. Troy C. Linden, 22, of Detroit Lakes, Minn. They also were members of the 54th Engineer Battalion. -- Karl Linderoth remembers one of his brightest students, Joseph P. Micks, when the younger man was dual enrolled in Linderoth's Computer Tech courses at Bay College while still in high school. Â "He challenged me like no other student, asking me for information about the world I did not have," said Linderoth. "I am proud to say I knew Joe. He served his nation honorably." Â Micks, 22, of Rapid River, Mich., was killed by a roadside bomb July 8 in Ramadi. He was a 2002 high school graduate and was assigned to Bamberg, Germany. Â Micks was an altar server at the family's church and an Eagle Scout. He loved to collect sports memorabilia and fix the computers of neighbors in their tight-knit community. Â "He always put forth extra effort in everything that he did," said his mother, Amy Micks. "He wanted to help end things. He was a happy kid and always wanted to help others." Â While serving in Germany, he met and married his wife, Ramona. During his funeral service, the couple's favorite song, "Truly, Madly, Deeply," was played, the singer saying how he will always be with his love until the skies fall down. | |||||
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Kimberly Miller met her husband-to-be, Dennis J. Miller Jr., when she was 15 and he was 18. The age difference riled her parents at first. That they'd met on the Internet didn't help. "They were a little leery at first," she said. Eventually, her parents came around. "He treated her great," said Sue Baltrip, Kimberly Miller's mother. "He loved her more than anything in this world." Miller, 21, of La Salle, Mich., died Nov. 10 when a grenade struck his tank in Ramadi. He was based at Camp Casey, South Korea. His family was notified of Miller's death on Veterans Day. It was no surprise that Miller would join the Army: His late grandfather fought in Normandy during D-Day and his father served in Vietnam. "Dennis is a hero," said his cousin and best friend, Michael Miller Jr. "He was very proud of what he did and he wanted people to be proud of him." Miller was thinking of re-enlisting, said his wife. But more importantly, they wanted to be a young, married couple _ with no plans yet for children. "We were going to wait until our high 20s," she said. "We spoiled ourselves too much." | |||||
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35 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| There was only one man who Lowell T. Miller wanted to have pin military bars to his uniform, one man he wanted to salute after being commissioned as an officer: his father. "Dad, I serve so others don't have to," he once wrote to his father, Lowell Miller, who served 22 years in the Naval Reserves. "You taught me to be a leader, to stand up and sacrifice so others would not have to. You were in the military and served so your kids wouldn't, yet we do. You taught us well." Miller, 35, of Flint, Mich., was killed Aug. 31 by small-arms fire in Iskandariyah. He was assigned to McComb. Miller graduated in 1993 from Virginia Military Institute and later joined the Michigan Army National Guard. Miller worked for automotive supplier Yazaki North America Inc. and was an engineering supervisor. "He'd constantly go to bat for them for things like raises within the company," said Erin Haven, who was hired by Miller. "He'd really stick out his neck for people." He is survived by his wife, Angela; and two stepchildren, Jessica, 13, and Jordan, 6. "It was just wonderful to be with him," Angela Miller said. | |||||
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Family and friends of a soldier from Shiawassee County killed in Iraq say he died doing something he loved and even had hopes of signing up for another tour of duty. Army Pfc. Allan A. Morr, 21, was among four soldiers killed Wednesday when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb near Hawijah, 150 miles north of Baghdad, the Department of Defense said. Morr, of Byron, Mich., had been in Iraq since October and looked up to his older brother, Bryan Morr, 25, who served 16 months there. Their father, Tim Morr, said he never discouraged his sons from enlisting but never expected one of them to die in combat, either. "We were scared," he told the Detroit Free Press for a story published Saturday, "but we never really thought that anything would happen to any of our kids." Allan Morr was poised to sign up for another tour in Iraq, and serving his country gave him a real sense of accomplishment, Tim Morr said. Morr, also known as "Mighty Mouse" to his fellow soldiers because of his short, strong stature and excitement about his work, was a 2004 graduate of Byron High School in Shiawassee County. "He was very proud to be serving his country, and the small community of Byron is both proud of this soldier and mourning the loss of a fine young man," Byron High School Principal Thomas Dykstra told The Flint Journal. Family and friends said Morr was interested in cars, music and hunting. And to his family, he was a comedian. "He was the guy who could always make everybody laugh," Tim Morr said late Friday. "He was the entertainment for our family his whole life." Besides his father and brother, Morr's survivors include his mother, Mary; a sister, Heather; and another brother, Shane. "He's in a better place," his father said. "We know that for sure." -- While in high school, Morr was interested in such typical teen things as cars and music, said David Wyrick, his former principal. He also liked hunting deer and rabbit. "'Tommy Boy' was his favorite movie," said his sister, Heather Matthews. "He knew every line and he knew when to use them to make you laugh." With his older brother, Bryan, already serving in the Army in Oklahoma, Allan set his sights on the military when he was still in high school. | |||||
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38 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Brian L. Morris got a lot more than poultry when he took a job at a KFC restaurant. It was there that he met his wife. "He got a job there and I got a job there and the rest is history," Lori Morris said with a chuckle. "It's not one of those romantic places, but we've got our KFC story." Morris, 38, of Centreville, Mich., died Aug. 21 when his vehicle rolled over in Mosul. Morris joined the Army after graduating from high school in 1985, where he was a star cross-country runner. When he returned years later to speak to students, he had transformed from athlete to military man, said Coral Fry, Morris' former English teacher. Fry remembered Morris as "one of the nicest, most gentlemanly students" she ever had. A bout with testicular cancer forced Morris into temporary retirement from the Army in 1989. He re-enlisted and served in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Germany and South Korea. He also is survived by a 5-year-old daughter, Emilee. "She was daddy's girl," Lori Morris said. "She is daddy's girl. We're so proud of him. He worked so hard." | |||||
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36 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Marine Maj. Kevin G. Nave graduated in 1985 from Waterford Kettering High School, where he was on the varsity football and wrestling teams. After high school, Nave went to the University of Michigan on a Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. He graduated in 1989 with a degree in political science. Nave, 36, of White Lake Township, Mich., died March 26 in a vehicle accident. He had a wife, Carrie, a son, Anthony, 6, and a 5-year-old daughter, Maeve. | |||||
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24 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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19 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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28 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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24 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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46 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Master Sgt. William L. Payne had put off his retirement when the war in Iraq started because of a sense of duty to the men who served under him. Payne, 46, of Otsego, Mich., who first joined the Army shortly after graduating from Otsego High School in 1975, was killed May 16 when an ordnance exploded as he examined it. Payne's stepmother, Beverly Payne, said he was preparing to retire when the war in Iraq started but decided to wait. "He felt that he should go over there with his men that he worked with so long," she said. "He would have had 25 years (of military service) in September." Payne was the oldest of four siblings, including a brother and two sisters, his stepmother said. He is also survived by his wife, Karin, whom he met in Germany; two sons, John, 21, and Nicholas, 14; and his father, William O. Payne. His mother, Rosemary, died in an automobile accident about 20 years ago. William Lee Payne had been stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas since 2001. He was also assigned there from 1995-98. Most recently, Payne was the intelligence noncommissioned officer in charge for the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. He previously served as the first sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. While in high school in Otsego, about 14 miles north of Kalamazoo, Payne wrestled and played football all four years, his stepmother said. After serving an initial hitch, he left the Army and returned to the Kalamazoo area for 18 months or two years before re-enlisting and becoming a career soldier. | |||||
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26 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Army Sgt. Michael Pedersen joined the Army right out of high school and was a great father to their 7-year-old daughter, said his wife, Chanel. The couple had attended the same high school before they married in 1997, but had been separated at the time of his death. Pedersen, 26, of Flint, Mich., died in a helicopter crash April 2. "He was a quiet person," Chanel Pedersen said. "A great father. He loved his daughter. He was an excellent soldier." | |||||
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32 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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30 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Sgt. Brett Petriken, 30, of Flint, Mich., joined the Army in 1991. He was killed May 26 -- a day before his 31st birthday -- in a vehicle accident involving his Humvee, which was leading a convoy. Petriken leaves behind an 8-year-old daughter. | |||||
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30 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| Gung-ho barely described Raymond J. Plouhar. "I remember when he fell in the bathtub and cut his chin when he was 6 years old, and the only way I could get him to go to the hospital was to tell it was a MASH unit," said his father, also named Raymond. Plouhar, 30, of Lake Orion, Mich., was killed June 26 by a roadside bomb in Anbar province. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton. He enlisted after graduating from high school in 1996, where he wrestled and played football. He had previously deployed to Bosnia and the Sudan and was on his second tour in Iraq. He served as a recruiter in Flint after donating one of his kidneys to his uncle. During that time, he was filmed as part of "Fahrenheit 9/11." His family said he was unaware it would be critical of the war. "He hated it," said his sister, Toni. Plouhar was teased a lot as a young kid and protected people as he grew up. "He liked to protect the underdog," the father said. "All of his buddies from school called saying, 'He was my friend when nobody else would be.'" He is survived by his wife, Leigha, and sons, Raymond, 9, and Michael, 5. -- He was a stern-faced sniper _ and a soft-hearted Marine who handed out candy to kids in Iraq. He was a warrior who wrote poetry about life and death. He was featured in Michael Moore's antiwar documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," portrayed as an overzealous Marine recruiter who targeted poor kids. But Staff Sgt. Raymond Plouhar was far more complicated than that. And it was that complicated man who died in Iraq in late June, as he served with some of the same men he had recruited years ago. It was that complex man who was buried Friday, by a family that honored his service but would never forget his humanity. "He had a huge heart," says his widow, Leigha. Plouhar was a Marine for 10 of his 30 years, but he had dreamed of joining the military ever since he was a little boy who liked to watch "M-A-S-H" on television and dress in fatigues and a camouflage shirt. He entered the Corps straight out of high school, was trained as a sniper and traveled the world _ Bosnia, Sudan and Israel. He had a ramrod posture and a fierce pride in his appearance: He once ironed his uniform and polished its brass buttons for two hours before allowing his mom to photograph him. "He told me lots of times that he learned what could be accomplished .. if you put your heart and soul in it _ and he put his heart and soul in the Marine Corps," says his father, also named Raymond. "He was gung-ho from the time he signed his name until the day he died." His signature was a memorable one. His birth certificate read Raymond James Byron Anthony Charles Plouhar _ he was named after all his grandfathers. He followed a long family tradition of military service that included a grandfather who earned a Purple Heart in World War II and an older sister, Toni, who was in the Army. Plouhar carried a Bible from his grandfather, Raymond, to Iraq. He kept it in his left shirt pocket next to his heart. Tucked inside was a photo of his wife and their two sons, Raymond, 9, and Michael, 5. As devoted as he was to the Marines, Plouhar had a full life outside the military. He liked to hunt and camp, take canoe trips and fish with his boys. He was known as a charmer, a good talker, a champion of the underdog (always defending and befriending kids picked on in school) and though he was trained to fight and kill, he preferred the role of peacemaker. "He didn't like turmoil," recalls his mother, Cynthia. "He wanted everybody to be happy, to get along. ... He'd say 'Life's too short to sweat the small stuff.'" As family members gathered last week in their lakefront home 30 miles north of Detroit, they lined the walls and windows with photo collages that tell Raymond Plouhar's life in chapters. There's the grinning kid with the protruding ears (a coach once joked he looked like a Volkswagen with the doors open) proudly holding up the bass he caught. There's the sturdy athlete grappling with an opponent around a wrestling circle and posing in the green-and-white football uniform of the Lake Orion Dragons. There's the young man in love, sitting with high school sweetheart, Leigha, on his dad's Harley on their way to the prom, then years later, together again, he in Marine blue, she in white, on their wedding day. Then there's the tough-minded Marine in helmet and combat gear _ doling out candy from a plastic bag two months ago to schoolchildren in Iraq. "He admired the Iraqi people," his father says. "He said, 'Dad, even though I can't understand a word they're saying, if we were back home ... we'd be buddies.'" Plouhar was killed on June 26 by a roadside bomb in Anbar province in his second tour of duty in Iraq, weeks before he was to return home. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Pendleton, Calif. Plouhar's family says he had no qualms about returning to Iraq and he believed conditions had improved since his first tour in 2005. "I never worried," Leigha says, "because ... in my head, he was indestructible and nothing could ever happen to him because he was so good at what he did." His mother says her son preferred to be at the center of the action. In an undated entry in a blog on MySpace.com, Plouhar said "you can call me crazy" but he liked being in Iraq. "Someone has to do it plus I love what I do," he wrote. Plouhar did step back from active duty for four years and worked as a recruiter in Flint so he could donate a kidney to his uncle. It was as a recruiter that Plouhar was seen in Moore's award-winning "Fahrenheit 9/11." The segment shows Plouhar and another Marine in a mall parking lot in Burton, a depressed suburb of Flint; it suggests the two men were cynically hunting for poor teens to sign up, rather than go to a wealthier suburb where they'd likely be rejected. Plouhar's father says his son told him he had been misled and believed he was being filmed for a documentary that would appear on the Discovery Channel. (Moore's office didn't return calls or e-mail messages seeking comment.) "He cried when he found out what it really was," his father says. "He never dreamed that it was going to be something to slam the country, which he dearly loved." The movie, to be precise, is primarily a criticism of the Bush administration's actions after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. And yet, the elder Plouhar also says he doesn't see anything wrong with his son's actions. "If you really watched just the part with my son in it," he asks, "how could you not say that he was standing tall and proud?" His parents say they've seen only the segment featuring their son. Leigha Plouhar says her husband asked her not to watch the film _ and she never has. Nor has Stephen Wandrie, his friend of 20 years, who says Plouhar was hurt by the film, but told him: "'You know what? I know what I do is good for this country and every one of those people I'm recruiting _ those guys are my brothers.' " In the past month, the bloodshed that has become part of the daily life in Iraq seemed to edge closer and closer. He was shaken up in two explosions. Two weeks before he died, his mother says, he called and she could hear the strain in his voice. But he tried to be reassuring. "He said, I'll be all right. I don't have much longer. ... I'm ready to come home. I'm ready." And yet he seemed prepared for the possibility he wouldn't. In a poem he sent to his family last year _ a poem now enlarged to floor-to-ceiling size, and covering a wall of the Plouhar home _ Plouhar said he knew he could die serving his country and was ready to make the sacrifice. "I will leave my loved ones, my kids, my wife ...," he wrote. "Do not feel pity for me, for this is my choice. ... This is me. This is who I am. I am a Marine to the very end." | |||||
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36 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks inspired Ralph N. Porras to join the Army at age 33, getting in just under the age limit _ 34. Â "At 33 he found what he was meant to do _ soldiering," said Chaplain Maj. Jeffrey D. Hawkins of Porras' unit. "People usually don't go into the Army at 33, certainly not the airborne infantry." Â Porras, 36, of Merrill, Mich., died Sept. 2 in Yusifiyah from mortar fire. He was on his third tour and was assigned to Fort Bragg. Â Porras' brother, Thomas, said family members called Ralph the "Apache warrior" after he joined the Army _ as a tribute, in part, to the outlandish hairstyles of his youth. Â "But underneath all the muscle and hair was the heart of a lamb," Porras said. "He lived for today, but he was always doing good for somebody else." Â Porras, it was said, liked to talk. "He could talk the paint off a pole, and when schoolchildren sent him a packet of letters as a class project, he didn't write the class back as a whole. He wrote back to each student," Hawkins said. Â He is survived by his wife, Christine, and a son, 16-year-old Gabriel. | |||||
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39 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| In phone calls home, Justin Reppuhn talked about the Iraqi people he had met, his battles and his unwavering support for the war. "Of course, we had concern from back home," said his father, Dan. "But he was upbeat, so we were upbeat. He was very proud to serve and we were proud of him." Reppuhn, 20, of Hemlock, Mich., died Nov. 11 in a hostile attack in Anbar province, Iraq. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Reppuhn, known as J.D., played football in high school and joined the Marine Corps shortly after graduating. He was a popular student well known among the student body. "He was just a very likable young man," said his principal, Rudy Godefroidt. He studied history at Monroe Community College and shipped out to Iraq earlier this fall. "He wanted to do what he's doing," Dan Reppuhn said. "He wanted to fight for freedom. He wanted to fight for his country." Reppuhn is also survived by his mother, Terri. | |||||
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25 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Sgt. Sean C. Reynolds, 25, of East Lansing, Mich., enlisted in the Army at age 17, right after graduating from East Lansing High School. He served in the Army Rangers, one of the military's elite units, and saw his work as a way to help people in need, said his older brother, Kevin. Reynolds died of a gunshot wound May 3 when he fell off a ladder and his rifle went off, shooting him in the head. "He wanted to fight for people's justices – no matter who they were," Kevin Reynolds said. "He said, ‘You may not agree with me politically, but give me a chance.'" | |||||
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33 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Army Sgt. Todd J. Robbins served in the Navy in the Persian Gulf War; this time around he was with the Army. Robbins, 33, a native of Hart, Mich., died in combat April 3. He was a 1988 graduate of Hart High School, where his 13-year-old son is a student. He also left behind his second wife and eight siblings. "He is a true hero," said his mother, Anne Marie. "He was a true soldier and I don't want people to forget it. They forget the little ones." | |||||
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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24 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A native of a small town in west Michigan has died while fighting in Iraq. Â Army Spc. Dennis K. Samson Jr., 24, of Hesperia in Oceana County, was killed Monday by enemy gunfire in Taqaddum, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Wednesday. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Troop Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell, Ky. Â Samson is survived by his mother, Dawn Ackley, of Hesperia, and his father, Dennis Samson Sr., of Seattle. His mother declined to comment Wednesday, The Muskegon Chronicle reported. Â Samson, a 2000 graduate of Hesperia High School, was described as a kind person and a "free spirit" who excelled in cross country, his coach said. Â "He was a four-year varsity runner for us," Doug Baird told the newspaper. "He worked very hard at our workouts. He was the type of kid you wanted on your team. Â "He had a smile on his face. He was up to the challenge. It didn't matter how hard the workout would be. He was Native American and had this jet black hair about shoulder length. He would come bouncing along into practice, hair blowing in the wind. That's how I'll remember him," Baird said. Â "It's a tragedy that we lost him so early." Â Harris Funeral Home in Shelby was handling arrangements for Samson, which were incomplete Wednesday. -- Samson entered the Army in April 2004 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2004. Â He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Dawn and Randy Ackley of Hesperia, Mich., and father Dennis Samson of SeaTac, Wash. -- Doug Baird, Dennis K. Samson Jr.'s cross-country coach for four years, remembers his star runner as a "free spirit" with jet black, shoulder length hair. Â "He would come bouncing along into practice, hair blowing in the wind. That's how I'll remember him," Baird said. Â Samson, 24, of Hesperia, Mich., was killed July 24 by small-arms fire in Taqaddum. He was a 2000 high school graduate who was assigned to Fort Campbell. Â After high school, Samson completed culinary training at Baker College in Muskegon before moving to Chicago. Â "He was a great kid. He had a good heart," said Baird. "He was turning into a fine young man. This hits me pretty hard. He cared about his family. You knew he was going to be a good boy in life. He never had a mean thing about anybody, that I can remember." Â He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Dawn and Randy Ackley, and father Dennis Samson. Â "He was one of the few friends I had that I felt like I could be just really vulnerable with, just really real with," said Samson's best friend and high school classmate Ray Van Der Veer. | |||||
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29 | Air Force | Dead | U.S. | |
| Air Force Staff Sgt. Scott D. Sather was a quiet professional, a special forces combat controller who liked to be the "do" man. "He'd basically go out, take care of matters," said Staff Sgt. Michael Bain. "Even if he wasn't asked to do it, he would just go out and do it anyway, just to make sure things got done." Sather, 29, of Clio, Mich., was killed in combat April 8. "He was well-loved in the community," said his uncle, state Rep. John Gleason. "He was just a great person." Sather was married and often talked about his plans to build a home, Bain said. Another love was riding and working on his motorcycle. | |||||
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| BC-MI--Iraq-Mich-Shilling  STANWOOD, Mich. (AP) _ The military on Tuesday confirmed that a Mecosta County man serving in the Army National Guard was killed in Iraq.  Spc. Brad Shilling, 22, of Stanwood, died Saturday in Baghdad of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations, the Defense Department said.  Shilling was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized) in Big Rapids.  Shilling's wife D.J. Shilling had earlier confirmed his death. He also leaves behind a 2½-year-old daughter, Abbie, and a 3½-month-old son, Jordan. The family lives near Stanwood, about 30 miles west of Mount Pleasant. | |||||
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28 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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21 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| A Marine from western Michigan who was on his third tour in Iraq and was months away from finishing his four-year obligation to the armed forces has been killed, his family said. The parents of Cpl. Ross Smith, 21, of Wyoming, said they were notified of his death at their home near Grand Rapids on Thursday. The military officers who came to the home had little information other than to say that Smith died after an explosion on Wednesday in Iraq, his parents said. "I don't have any tears left," Smith's mother, Sue, told The Grand Rapids Press. The Defense Department hadn't confirmed Smith's death as of Friday afternoon. Smith was a graduate of Wyoming Park High School. His family sometimes jokingly called him "little GI Joe." Smith was a June 2002 graduate of Wyoming Park High School who enlisted in the Marines before his senior year. The school held a moment of silence in his honor Friday, said Principal Stewart Schofield, who described Smith as a good student who was well-liked by classmates. Classmates followed his military career after graduation, he said. When terrorists struck on Sept. 11, 2001, Sue Smith asked her son to reconsider enlistment in the Marines, which he had done just a month earlier, she said. But he wouldn't hear of it, she said. "He said that they needed him even more now than before," his mother said. "That was the type of kid he was, committed, dedicated, never taking the easy way out. "I don't know how I'll continue without him. I can't even imagine him not being around." The Smith family was awaiting specifics from the Department of Defense on how and where he died. Smith was first deployed to Iraq in February of 2003. ___ Information from: The Grand Rapids Press, http://www.mlive.com/grpress -- One day Ross A. Smith bought his girlfriend a CD player for her car and tried to install it. But his wiring job led to the unit smoking. He told her that it was fine _ he had in fact hooked it up right and the wires were just hot, and would cool down soon. "You can't be mad at him because he's joking around," said Samantha Legg. "Ross was one of the funniest guys I ever met." Smith, 21, of Wyoming, Mich., was killed Feb. 9 by an explosive near Fallujah. He graduated high school in 2002, was assigned to Camp Pendleton and was on his third tour. "Ross was one of those guys in your life that you're privileged to know," schoolmate Ryan Vasquez said. "I told his dad that no one could think anything negative or bad about Ross. He was as good as it gets." Smith had fought in the Battle of Baghdad and in Fallujah. Mark Smith said his son told him that he was fighting for the children of Iraq _ the ones that would run out to him in the streets and ask for his signature. "Ross Smith believed in everything he did _ or he wouldn't have done it," Mark Smith said. He also is survived by his wife, Sue. | |||||
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| On his last visit home, Randy Stevens rode go-carts at Busch Gardens and loaded up on T-shirts and Kool Aid, which he said was "like gold" in Iraq. "In so many ways he was a man, but he was also still a kid who liked to do kid things, like going to amusement parks," said his brother, Jacob Maxwell. Stevens, 21, of Swartz Creek, Mich., was killed April 16 after being hit by indirect fire from mortars and rockets in Ramadi. He was so close to leaving Iraq that he had sent his things back to Fort Carson. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Stevens went from playing football in high school to being the first sharpshooter in the door on many operations in Iraq. Family members said the military helped Stevens get through tough times. He had dropped out of high school but earned his general equivalency diploma when he enlisted in 2002. He had just re-enlisted for another six years. Stevens planned to become an Army recruiter in Flint and someday open an auto body repair shop with his brother. He had a passion for Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Ford Mustangs. He is survived by his mother, Sherri Stevens and father, David Maxwell. | |||||
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Â One of the things Brandon L. Stout did while in Iraq was to start collecting soccer balls from home to give to needy children. Â "He would always look for something he could do good," said Stout's stepfather, Jeff Anderson. Â Stout, 23, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was killed Jan. 22 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was a 2002 high school graduate and was assigned to Kingsford. Â "He was always the one to jump forward. If something needed to be done, he would just jump up and do it," said Stout's squad leader, Staff Sgt. William Paine. "I wish I had 10 more soldiers just like him." Â Teacher Rhonda Vanderwest recalled Stout as a sometimes-irrepressible senior in the school choir. "He stood up for his faith and he stood up for what he believed in," she said. "He wasn't shy about anything." Â Stout's mother, Tracy Anderson, was comforted by the fact that her son believed in what he was doing. "He knew it was his job, and he was proud to serve," Anderson said. "He didn't complain. He didn't try to get out of it." Â He also is survived by his wife, Audrey. Â "He represented everything good about America," Anderson said. | |||||
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38 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Â Summers, who joined the military in 1998, lived in Columbus, Ga., with his wife and son. His current tour began in January and he would have returned from Iraq in three months, said Monica Manganaro, a spokeswoman at Fort Benning. | |||||
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20 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| When Spc. Richard Trevithick learned he would be posted in Iraq, he moved up his wedding to his high school sweetheart, Kristin, 21. "He thought the world of me, and I thought the world of him," Kristin Trevithick said. The couple married Dec. 12 while Richard Trevithick, 20, was on leave from his base in Schweinfurt, Germany. "He said that if anything happened (to him), he wanted to know that he was married to the woman he loved," said his father, Richard Trevithick. The Gaines, Mich., soldier was killed April 14 by an explosive near his convoy vehicle in Balad, Iraq. He graduated from high school in 2002 and enlisted in the Army after deciding he wasn't ready for college. He wanted to go to college after his discharge and pursue a career in law enforcement. The young soldier had arranged for his wife to receive a bouquet of roses if anything happened to him. The flowers arrived April 15. "He talked to her the day before he died and told her he'd spoil her when he got home," his father said. | |||||
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35 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A mischievous practical joker who always had a smile, Staff Sgt. Mark D. Vasquez thrived after following his father and cousin into the Army in 1993. "This was something Mark liked," said his father, Mike Vasquez. "It was the guidance ... and the discipline he needed." Vasquez, 35, was killed Nov. 8 near Fallujah, Iraq, by a makeshift bomb. He was stationed at Fort Riley. He is survived by wife Nicole, daughter, Breanna, 6, and son Cameron, 2. Vasquez, who grew up in Port Huron, Mich., loved being active. He had recently taken up golf, and excelled at skateboarding and breakdancing. He missed his unit's first deployment to Iraq while training in the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning. Those close to him say Vasquez hoped another chance would come. Friend Jeff Parr remembered Vasquez as fearless. "If it was dangerous, he wanted to do it. ... And I'm sure he would rather it be him than anyone else in his unit. I'm proud of him." | |||||
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24 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A 23-year-old soldier from Oakland County died after an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced. Army Spc. Andrew K. Waits, 23, of Waterford Township, died Thursday in the Baghdad blast, which happened during combat operations, the military said. Waits was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky. Waits intended to become an Oakland County sheriff's deputy after completing his Army service in October, said his mother, Diane. "He was really coming into himself," Diane Waits told The Oakland Press. "I could see the man he was becoming. He was going to be a very special individual." Waits graduated from Kettering High School in 2001, then worked at a coffee shop and as a restaurant cook until he joined the Army in October 2003. He was deployed to Iraq in September 2005. Diane Waits last saw her son when he was home on leave from March 18-April 4. "He seemed a little unsettled at first," she said. Waits said little about what he was experiencing in Iraq, where he was a Humvee gunner. While driving at home, he would swerve to avoid potholes or anything that looked unusual in the road, his mother said. -- A soldier who was killed in Iraq before he could realize his dream of joining the Oakland County Sheriff's Department was posthumously deputized by Sheriff Michael Bouchard. "We would be honored to have him as part of our family," Bouchard said during funeral services Saturday for Army Spc. Andrew Waits, 23, of Waterford. Waits died April 13 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Ky. Hundreds of people gathered at St. Perpetua Roman Catholic Church in Waterford for Waits' funeral Mass, The Oakland Press of Pontiac reported in Sunday editions. "Andrew was always a kindhearted and loving person who cared deeply for his family and many, many friends," said the Rev. Richard Rakoczy. "Andrew has made us all very proud. He was a young man who wanted to make a difference through his words and commitment to society." Waits was a 2001 graduate of Kettering High School who was deployed to Iraq in September 2005. He hoped to join the sheriff's department after his tour of duty ended in October. A military official presented Waits' mother, Diane, with the Bronze Star and Purple Heart commendations. ___ Information from: The Oakland Press, http://www.theoaklandpress.com -- Before he shipped out, Andrew K. Waits and fellow soldiers went to a Best Buy store. When they found a cell phone on display that actually worked, they used it to make friendly prank phone calls to their sergeant. "He's the friend everyone needs," said his mother, Diane Waits. "He'll stand by you, no matter what. He'll take care of you, no matter what. He's a quiet guy, but you can count on him." Waits, 23, of Waterford, Mich., was killed April 13 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Campbell. Waits was a self-taught guitar player, who could pick up a song _ he especially loved Led Zeppelin _ just by hearing it on the radio. He wanted to become an Oakland County sheriff's deputy. "He was a great guy, and he didn't deserve to die," said neighbor Jodi Brown. "You couldn't ask for a better friend." Waits graduated from high school in 2001, then worked at a coffee shop and as a restaurant cook until he joined the Army in 2003, enlisting in the wake of his father's death. "I could see the man he was becoming," Diane Waits said. "He was going to be a very special individual." | |||||
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21 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
| A 20-year-old Marine from Michigan has been killed in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced Thursday. Lance Cpl. Brandon Webb, a Swartz Creek firefighter, died Tuesday. He was killed in Al Anbar province, Iraq, the military said, and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, in Camp Pendleton, Calif. Webb was born and raised in Arizona. He graduated from high school there but attended Swartz Creek High School during his junior year in 2003. He served with the Swartz Creek department from June 2004 to May 2005. Webb had served in Iraq since January and was scheduled to return to the U.S. on Aug. 2. Joining the Marines had been Webb's dream since he was a little boy, Webb's mother, Ann Christofferson, told The Flint Journal. "He felt like people needed to fight for this country and make it a better place," she said. Christofferson described her son as a straight-A student who never got into serious trouble. He loved baseball, hockey, golf and playing video games. Webb also is survived by a brother, Austin. -- In his history classes, Kerry Reeder used Brandon J. Webb as an example when discussing the war in Iraq and offered students extra credit to write Webb letters. With the hectic pace of the end of the semester, Reeder hadn't had time to mail them yet. "I've got 30 letters on my desk right now," he said. "It gives new meaning to those letters." Webb, 20, of Swartz Creek, Mich., was killed June 20 when a roadside bomb blew apart the SUV he was driving. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton. Webb grew up in Tempe, Ariz. When his mother moved to Michigan, he followed, but missed friends in Arizona so much that he returned for his senior year, graduating in 2004. "He was one of those kids that didn't want to be in the limelight, but he liked being around everybody," said Reeder. "He was just a good kid." Webb and his mother, Ann Christofferson, worked as firefighters in Swartz Creek, Mich., after he graduated. "At the fire department, we're just a huge family, and Brandon and Ann, they're just a huge part of it," said Fire Lt. Mike Treiger. "He's going to be missed. I'm sure the community is also devastated by the loss of another member." | |||||
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23 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| At Morley Stanwood High School, officials made the announcement just before the end of the school day: Matthew A. Webber had lost his fight for life. "It was as deadening a quiet as you could imagine," said biology teacher Bill VanSickle. "This is going to be tough for the community." Webber, 23, of Kalamazoo, Mich., died April 27 in the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio of injuries sustained from a roadside bomb in Habbaniyah on Nov. 21, 2005. The 2001 high school graduate was a member of the National Honor Society, student council president and competed for the basketball, football, cross country and track teams. "He was one of those kids that was delight in the classroom," said high school principal Dennis Szczerowski. According to his father, Alan Webber, Webber joined the National Guard in 2000 to pay for college. He was a senior at Western Michigan University majoring in international business. "He always had a smile on his face. He always lightened your mood up if you were having a bad day," said cafe owner John Northrup. He also is survived by his mother and stepfather, Jayne Webber-Hardy and Vince Hardy. | |||||
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21 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Brad A. Wentz was days away from his second wedding anniversary with his high school sweetheart, Tami. The couple named their 1-year-old daughter Jerzey in honor of Fort Dix, N.J., where he was first stationed. Wentz, 21, of Gladwin, Mich., was killed May 20 when his convoy came under attack along one of the country's main supply routes. He was based in Muskegon, Mich. Wentz was an avid hockey player who also enjoyed fishing, hunting and golf. He went to basic training while still in high school and had a plan to join the reserves, then become active duty. When he was last home in April, Wentz was reluctant to return to Iraq. "Brad was telling everybody that he hated to go back to Iraq, but he made a commitment and he said, `I'll go,'" said his grandfather, Clark E. Wentz. "He made that commitment and he followed through with it." | |||||
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Spc. Donald Laverne Wheeler was affectionately known as "DJ" to his family, which included three sisters and eight brothers. In the military, he picked up the nickname "Sunshine." "They called him Sunshine at Fort Hood in Texas because he was so tall he stood out from everyone else and he was always smiling," said one of his sisters, Andrea Barrett. Wheeler, 22, of Concord, Mich., died Oct. 13 in an attack in Tikrit. His mother, Mary Cay Wheeler, said he decided to enlist after the Sept. 11 attacks. He loved the Army but at the same time he missed his family, she said. They had a photo of Wheeler blown up to near life size and brought it to his sister's wedding reception because he couldn't attend. "I shall always remember him, a big kid who gave everything he had on that dusty day," said Lt. Jason Price at a memorial service in Tikrit. "It's difficult to say goodbye." | |||||
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20 | Marines | Dead | U.S. | |
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19 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A good student who played on the baseball, basketball and football teams in high school, Jason G. Wright was already a "quality person" before joining the military, his high school principal says. He grew even more after signing up. "It was remarkable _ the stature, the maturity, the confidence he had gained since enlisting," said principal Jim Gendernalik. "This was a direction he chose to go, and he was proud of what he was doing." Pfc. Wright, 19, of Luzerne, Mich., died Dec. 8 when his vehicle came under fire while he was providing security at a gas station in Mosul, Iraq. He had been stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. Neighbor Natalie Giardina described Wright as a well-mannered boy who was protective of his three younger brothers. She remembered how the boys would slide down a hill on her property during the winter and how she expressed concern for their safety on a particularly icy day. "He said, 'Don't worry Mrs. Giardina, I'll protect my brothers,'" Giardina recalled. "Then he went on to protect us." | |||||
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22 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| A soldier from western Michigan, who was remembered for being humorous and straightforward, has died while serving in Iraq, his former high school principal said. Lakewood High School Principal Mike O'Mara told The Grand Rapids Press that he learned of the death of Nyle Yates from the soldier's family on Thursday. Yates was a 2002 graduate of the Lake Odessa school. "He was a quiet kid who did what he was supposed to do in school," O'Mara said. He came as a baby-faced freshman all of 5'5" and left as a 6'1" senior who always had a smile on his face." Yates joined the Army in 2002 and was on his second tour in Iraq, the newspaper reported Saturday. Ferol Ball, of Lake Odessa, said her son, Joey Day, was a close friend of Yates. "(Yates) was a very straightforward, honest, loving and caring individual," she said. "He served his country, he wanted to, and unfortunately he gave his life. But without men and women like him, it would be a more dangerous world. I have four sons and can't imagine losing one." The Sentinel-Stanard of Ionia reported that after Yates graduated from high school, his family moved to the Eagle-area, near Lansing. There were no telephone listings under the last name Yates in Eagle. -- A defense department statement released Monday said Army Cpl. Nyle Yates III died in Bayji, Iraq, on Thursday "when he came under small arms fire by enemy forces during combat operations." Yates, a 22-year-old from Lake Odessa, was assigned to a unit that operated out of Fort Campbell, Ky. -- Nyle Yates III saw combat during his first tour of duty. At that time, he was a radio operator when his commander was wounded. "Nyle had to call in a helicopter. For a 19-year-old kid, that was pretty good," recalled his former principal, Mike O'Mara. Yates, 22, of Lake Odessa, Mich., died March 16 in Bayji when he came under small-arms fire. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and was on his second tour. The army corporal was proud of his military service, said the Rev. Ben Ridder. "In one of his last e-mails home, Nyle wrote, 'Hi Mom. What are you doing? I'm saving the world,'" Ridder said. Yates, who graduated high school in 2002, hardly missed a day of classes. "He was a kid that came into school everyday," said O'Mara. "He came as a baby-faced freshman all of 5'5" and left as a 6'1" senior who always had a smile on his face," recalled O'Mara. Yates is survived by his mother and stepfather, Jami and Donald Edgecomb; and a sister, Krystal. "He was the best friend anybody could have," said Mike Vipond. "You couldn't be more proud of anyone in your life." | |||||
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39 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
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26 | Army | Dead | U.S. | |
| Before he died last week, Army Sgt. Joshua V. Youmans got to see his 5-month-old daughter for the first time, his wife said. Youmans, 26, of Genesee County's Flushing Township, died Wednesday at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He was being treated for burns he received when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat last year in Iraq. Youmans' wife, Katie, said she is grateful her husband was able to see their daughter McKenzie in person. "I did get to take her in to be with him not too long ago," Katie Youmans said Sunday from Texas, where she had been with her husband since just after Thanksgiving. "We did a lot of video baby-sitting while he was (in Iraq), but he did get to see her," she told The Flint Journal. Youmans said her husband had been getting better, but then his condition suddenly deteriorated. The blast that wounded Joshua Youmans instantly killed Army Pfc. John Dearing, 21, of Hazel Park, and burned three other Michigan soldiers. One of them, Army Sgt. Spencer Akers, 35, of Traverse City, died Dec. 8 of his wounds. Youmans' funeral is set for Saturday at St. Robert Catholic Church in Flushing. ___ Information from: The Flint Journal, http://www.flintjournal.com -- Even though Joshua V. Youmans couldn't physically be in the delivery room the day his daughter MacKenzie was born, he listened on the phone until he heard her cry. He loved to watch his daughter on the Web video camera after she was born and would baby-sit via the Internet from Iraq. "Just so he could see her being a baby," said his wife, Katie. Youmans, 26, of Flushing, Mich., died March 1 in Texas of injuries sustained Nov. 21 in Habbaniyah by a land mine. He was assigned to Saginaw. His wife treasures their ordinary times together, such as eating barbecue wings during dinners out and playing with their dog, Sweetie. Or how at night she'd always say "Sleep tight," and he would respond with "Don't let the bed bugs bite." "Josh and I completed each other," she said. "He was my soul mate and the love of my life. We knew how lucky we were to have found each other. I am so grateful to have been a part of his life." "Even though his life was lived way too short, he made the most of it," she said. "He was so proud to be a part of the infantry. He truly was an American hero." |  |
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