In Memoriam

[Grace]

7 March 2010



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

Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook, 19, of Hungry Horse, Mont., died March 7 in Konar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy.

Don't you just love the name of his home town?

[Grace]

9 March 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died March 9 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using small-arms, indirect and rocket-propelled grenade fires. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Killed were:

Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson, 24, of Bald Knob, Ark.

Pfc. Jason M. Kropat, 25, of White Lake, N.Y.

[Grace]

Army Releases February Suicide Data

The Army released suicide data today for the month of February. Among active-duty soldiers, there were 14 potential suicides: one has been confirmed as suicide, and 13 remain under investigation. For January, the Army reported 12 potential suicides among active duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, two have been confirmed as suicides, and ten remain under investigation.

During February, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were five potential suicides: all five remain under investigation. For January, among that same group, there were 15 potential suicides. Of those, seven were confirmed as suicides and eight are pending determination of the manner of death.

[Grace]

11 March 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble, 20, of Sugarland, Texas, died March 11 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[cassiesmom]

Saying extra prayers for all servicemen and women today.

[Grace]

14 March 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto, 26, of Largo, Fla., died March 14 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

29 March 1972



Air Force Pilot MIA From Vietnam War is Identified

The Department of Defense announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Maj. Curtis Daniel Miller of Palacios, Texas, will be buried on March 29 in the Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery. Miller was part of a 14-man aircrew, all of which are now accounted-for. Remains that could not be individually identified are included in a group that will be buried together in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.

On March 29, 1972, 14 men were aboard an AC-130A Spectre gunship that took off from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, on an armed reconnaissance mission over southern Laos. The aircraft was struck by an enemy surface-to-air missile and crashed. Search and rescue efforts were stopped after a few days due to heavy enemy activity in the area.

In 1986, joint U.S.- Lao People’s Democratic Republic teams, lead by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), surveyed and excavated the crash site in Savannakhet Province, Laos. The team recovered human remains and other evidence including two identification tags, life support items and aircraft wreckage. From 1986 to 1988, the remains were identified as those of nine men from this crew.

Between 2005 and 2006, joint teams resurveyed the crash site and excavated it twice. The teams found more human remains, personal effects and crew-related equipment. As a result, JPAC identified the other crewmen using forensic identification tools, circumstantial evidence, mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons.

[Grace]

13 March 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Erin L. McLyman, 26, of Federal Way, Wash., died March 13 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked her base with mortar fire. She was assigned to the 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lews-McChord, Wash.

[Grace]

12 March 2010



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

Sgt. 1st Class Glen J. Whetten, 31, of Mesa, Ariz., died March 12 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

[Grace]

13 March 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.


Spc. Steven J. Bishop, 29, of Christiansburg, Va., died March 13 in Tikrit, Iraq, while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, 352nd Civil Affairs Command, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

From the NY Times - The bedrooms left behind (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/21/magazine/20100321-soliders-bedrooms-slideshow.html?hp)

[Grace]

16 March 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan, 29, of Tyler, Texas, died March 16 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

[Grace]

16 March 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Gunnery Sgt. Robert L. Gilbert II, 28, of Richfield, Ohio, died March 16 of wounds sustained March 8 while supporting combat operations in Badghis province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

Great Britain


Lance Cpl. Scott Hardy, 26, Chelmsford, England

Pvt. James Grigg, 20, Hartismere, Suffolk, England

Company A, 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment

Two British soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded during an operation 12.4 miles (20 km) north of Musa Qalah in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on March 16, 2010

[Grace]

Great Britain


Capt. Martin Driver, 31, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England

Company A, 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment

Died on March 15, 2010, at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, England, of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb detonated during a patrol in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on February 21, 2010

[Grace]

19 March - 7th Anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

[Grace]

16 March 2010




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

Sgt. Joel D. Clarkson, 23, of Fairbanks, Alaska, died March 16 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds sustained March 13 during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

[Grace]

18 March 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Chief Petty Officer Adam Brown, 36, of Hot Springs, Ark., died March 18 in Afghanistan. He was assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL Team.

[Grace]

18 March 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff, 26, of Kenosha, Wis., died March 18 in Baghdad, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenade fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

[Grace]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/March16th/flag-canada.gif

20 March 2010



The Canadian Army regrets to announce the death of Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick at the University of Alberta Hospital Saturday as a result of wounds he sustained in Afghanistan on March 6.

Cpl. Fitzpatrick, of Prince George, B.C., was a 21-year-old Infantryman and a member of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based at CFB Edmonton.

This was Cpl. Fitzpatrick’s first operational tour. He joined the Canadian Forces in 2006 and had been serving in Afghanistan with the Operational Mentor Liaison Team since last October.

Cpl. Fitzpatrick was critically wounded by an improvised explosive device during a joint Canadian/Afghan dismounted patrol 25 km West of Kandahar City in Zharey district on March 6. He was treated at the Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit at Kandahar Airfield and was then moved to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Cpl. Fitzpatrick was evacuated from LRMC to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton on Friday.

Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick passed away late Saturday afternoon surrounded by his family.

[Daisy and Delilah]

From the NY Times - The bedrooms left behind (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/21/magazine/20100321-soliders-bedrooms-slideshow.html?hp)

I'm in tears after looking at these pictures. I can't believe how many quilts there are on the beds. Almost all of them has a hand made quilt. It tells me how much those young people were loved and missed and always will be. A quilter made the quilt personally for them. :(

How painful it must have been to keep those rooms like they were and allow photographers in the home to take pictures. Perhaps it helped the families to pay tribute to their fallen loved ones.

Thanks, Gretchen. It's so touching that someone thought of preserving the very rooms that were part of their lives for years. :(

[cassiesmom]

19 February 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Joshua H. Birchfield, 24, of Westville, Ind., died Feb. 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

This is so sad. He was killed by a U.S. security force whose members were apparently stoned out on opium at the time.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=362567

[Grace]

Elyse, that just makes me sick.

[Grace]

22 March 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Justin J. Wilson, 24, of Palm City, Fla., died March 22 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

Great Britain



It is with regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Serjeant Steven Campbell, from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, was killed in Afghanistan on Monday 22 March 2010.

Serjeant Campbell, aged 30, was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was patrolling with his Platoon around 3km south of Sangin district centre.

[Grace]

22 March 2010


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

Sgt. 1st Class Carlos M. Santos-Silva, 32, of Clarksville, Tenn., died March 22 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C

[Grace]

24 March 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The following Marines died March 24 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:

Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle, 45, of Whittier, Calif.

Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni, 19, of Yorba Linda, Calif.

Cottle and Centanni were assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4thMarine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

[Grace]

24 March 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Ross, 19, of Gillette, Wyo., died March 24, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

28 March 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Randy M. Heck, 20, of Steubenville, Ohio, died March 28 from a non-hostile incident in Djibouti, Africa. He was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

This incident is under investigation.

[Grace]

Great Britain



Lance Cpl. of Horse Jonathan Woodgate, 26, Lavenham, Suffolk, England
The Household Cavalry Regiment, attached to 4 Troop, Brigade Reconnaissance Force

Killed when a grenade was thrown from behind a wall during a foot patrol operating about 1.8 miles (3 km) south of Sangin district center in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on March 26, 2010

[Grace]

Great Britain



Rifleman Daniel Holkham, 19, Chatham, Kent, England
Company B, 3rd Battalion, The Rifles

Killed when a sucide bomber detonated an explosive device just outside the bazaar in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on March 27, 2010

[RICHARD]

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2010/02/26/jeanne_holm_first_woman_named_general_in_air_force/


Saw this in a review of the people that had passed so far this year.

Somehow, she made the list of stars and other people in the 'spotlight' that left, too......

[Grace]

29 March 2010


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

Pfc. James L. Miller, 21, of Yakima, Wash., died March 29 in Dashat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

[Grace]

29 March 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Raymond N. Pacleb, 31, of Honolulu, Hawaii, died March 29 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery Regiment, Wahiawa, Hawaii.

[Grace]

Great Britain


It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Guardsman Michael Sweeney, 19, from Blyth in Northumberland; 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards was killed in Afghanistan on 1 April 2010.

Guardsman Sweeney died as a result of an explosion that happened in the Babaji District of central Helmand province.

[Grace]

From the NY Times

April 3, 2010
Op-Ed Columnist
We Still Don’t Hear Him
By BOB HERBERT

The great man was moving with what seemed like great reluctance. He knew as he climbed from the car in Upper Manhattan that he was stepping into the maelstrom, that there were powerful people who would not react kindly to what he had to say.

“I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight,” said the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “because my conscience leaves me no other choice.”

This was on the evening of April 4, 1967, almost exactly 43 years ago. Dr. King told the more than 3,000 people who had crowded into Riverside Church that silence in the face of the horror that was taking place in Vietnam amounted to a “betrayal.”

He spoke of both the carnage in the war zone and the toll the war was taking here in the United States. The speech comes to mind now for two reasons: A Tavis Smiley documentary currently airing on PBS revisits the controversy set off by Dr. King’s indictment of “the madness of Vietnam.” And recent news reports show ever-increasing evidence that we have ensnared ourselves in a mad and tragic venture in Afghanistan.

Dr. King spoke of how, in Vietnam, the United States increased its commitment of troops “in support of governments which were singularly corrupt, inept, and without popular support.”

It’s strange, indeed, to read those words more than four decades later as we are increasing our commitment of troops in Afghanistan to fight in support of Hamid Karzai, who remains in power after an election that the world knows was riddled with fraud and whose government is one of the most corrupt and inept on the planet.

If Mr. Karzai is at all grateful for this support, he has a very peculiar way of showing it. He has ignored pleas from President Obama and others to take meaningful steps to rein in the rampant corruption. His brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, the kingpin in southern Afghanistan, is believed by top American officials to be engaged in all manner of nefarious activities, including money-laundering and involvement in the flourishing opium trade.

Hamid Karzai himself pulled off a calculated insult to the U.S. by inviting Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the presidential palace in Kabul, where Ahmadinejad promptly delivered a fiery anti-American speech. As Dexter Filkins and Mark Landler reported in The Times this week: “Even as Mr. Obama pours tens of thousands of additional American troops into the country to help defend Mr. Karzai’s government, Mr. Karzai now often voices the view that his interests and the United States’ no longer coincide.”

Is this what American service members are dying for in Afghanistan? Can you imagine giving up your life, or your child’s life, for that crowd?

In his speech, Dr. King spoke about the damage the Vietnam War was doing to America’s war on poverty, and the way it was undermining other important domestic initiatives. What he wanted from the U.S. was not warfare overseas but a renewed commitment to economic and social justice at home. As he put it: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”

The speech set loose a hurricane of criticism. Even the N.A.A.C.P. complained that Dr. King should stick to what it perceived as his area of expertise, civil rights. The New York Times headlined its editorial on the speech, “Dr. King’s Error.”

Mr. Smiley, in his documentary, noted that “the already strained relationship between President Johnson and Dr. King became fractured beyond repair.” And donations to Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference “began to dry up.”

So it took great courage for Dr. King to speak out as he did.

His bold stand seems all the more striking in today’s atmosphere, in which moral courage among the very prominent — the kind of courage that carries real risk — seems mostly to have disappeared.

More than 4,000 Americans have died in Iraq and more than 1,000 in Afghanistan, where the Obama administration has chosen to escalate rather than to begin a careful withdrawal. Those two wars, as the Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz and his colleague Linda Bilmes have told us, will ultimately cost us more than $3 trillion.

And yet the voices in search of peace, in search of an end to the “madness,” in search of the nation-building so desperately needed here in the United States, are feeble indeed.

Dr. King would be assassinated exactly one year (almost to the hour) after his great speech at Riverside Church. It’s the same terrible fate that awaits some of the American forces, most of them very young, that we continue to send into the quagmire in Afghanistan.

[Grace]

31 March 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a pilot who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lt. Miroslav Zilberman, 31, of Columbus, Ohio, died after his E-2C Hawkeye crashed into the Arabian Gulf on March 31, 2010. The recovery effort was abandoned on April 2, 2010 and his body was not recovered. Zilberman was assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121.

[Grace]

1 April 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The following Marines died April 1 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:

Lance Cpl. Tyler O. Griffin, 19, of Voluntown, Conn.

Sgt. Frank J. World, 25, of Buffalo, N.Y.

Griffin was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

World was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

From the NY Times -



The New York Times

April 6, 2010
Op-Ed Columnist
Turning Our Backs on Heroes
By BOB HERBERT

Arlington, Va.

While growing up just outside of Chicago, Dennet Oregon dreamed of being an artist. He loved to draw. He enrolled in art school after high school, but then came the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He left art school at the age of 19 and joined the Army.

“Sept. 11th was the main reason I joined,” he said, “but there were other underlying reasons as well. I was just poor, and I was tired of being poor. And tuition was kind of high. I called recruiters and we talked about the benefits of the G.I. bill, etc. And I figured, ‘Hey, join the Army and then get out and school would be paid for.’ ”

Mr. Oregon was assigned to the infantry and found that he liked it. He enjoyed the travel, the sense of adventure and the camaraderie with fellow soldiers. He wasn’t crazy about the danger, but, over all, he found the Army agreeable. At the end of four years, he re-enlisted.

“I got hurt March 29, 2005,” he said.

“Got hurt” was an understatement. Mr. Oregon, by then a sergeant, was in the lead truck of a convoy passing through a treacherous village not far from firebase Cobra, in the province of Uruzgan in central Afghanistan.

There was an uneasy feeling in the convoy that bordered on dread. Villagers gathered to stare at the American soldiers. “They stopped what they were doing,” said Sergeant Oregon, “and they were all eyeballing us.”

Everybody in the convoy was thinking I.E.D.: improvised explosive device. As Sergeant Oregon explained, “The road paralleled a river, and between the road and the river was just mud. If you tried to go through the mud, you would only get stuck. So the road was the only way.”

As he recalled the incident during an interview one recent afternoon at his apartment, Mr. Oregon said, “Everybody was scared. I remember saying to my driver, ‘As long as I don’t lose my hands, I’m fine.’ Because I like to draw, you know? ‘As long as I don’t lose my hands.’ ”

Some of the soldiers climbed out of the trucks to hunt for a device. But they didn’t spot anything. The bomb had been buried and paved over with concrete. It was detonated remotely as Sergeant Oregon’s truck passed over it.

A buddy of Sergeant Oregon’s lost his right leg. Sergeant Oregon was the most seriously wounded. He lost both legs. Each was amputated just below the knee. He also suffered a traumatic brain injury, three fractured vertebrae and cuts to his face and head.

There is a strong tendency, in our collective national consciousness, to give short shrift to the many thousands of Americans who are suffering grievously as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The wars have become like white noise in our culture. They hit the front pages from time to time, and there are evenings when some aspect of the wars are featured on the national news telecasts. But we have no real sense of the extraordinary sacrifices that have been made by the young men and women who are fighting these wars in our name.

The agony for many of the wounded has been all but unbearable — those who have lost limbs or been paralyzed or horribly burned, or who lost their hearing or eyesight.

The suffering extends to the families and loved ones of the wounded, and in all too many cases will last throughout their lives. These are peculiar wars in that the impact on the warriors inevitably is profound, while the effect of the wars on most other Americans is minimal.

There is something shameful — dishonorable — about relegating these warriors to the background. We sent them into hell and we owe them, at the very least, our grateful acknowledgement of their tremendous efforts and boundless sacrifices. There is no way to do that without paying serious attention to them.

Dennet Oregon, who now walks with prosthetic legs and works in an office at the Pentagon, is but one of many wounded soldiers piecing their lives back together after their encounters with catastrophe.

During a recent visit to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, I spent some time in the Military Advanced Training Center, a remarkable facility where dozens of recent amputees — under the guidance of an extraordinarily talented and dedicated staff — were engaged in the arduous task of physical rehabilitation.

Nearly 1,000 service members have lost limbs as a result of the two wars, and nearly 200 have lost more than one limb. More than 17,000 G.I.’s serving in Iraq or Afghanistan have suffered wounds so serious that they could not be returned to duty.

These wounded service members, many of them quite young, deserve much more of our awareness and support than they are getting.

[Grace]

30 March 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of one soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.


Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst, 25, Fayetteville, N.C., died March 30 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

2 April 2010




The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Curtis M. Swenson, 20, of Rochester, Minn., died April 2 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

[Grace]

U.S. Soldier MIA from Korean War is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Army Cpl. Stanley P. Arendt was buried on March 29 in Palatine, Ill. In early November 1950, Arendt was assigned to the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division occupying a defensive position near the town of Unsan in the bend of the Kuryong River known as the “Camel’s Head.” Arendt’s unit was involved in heavy fighting which devolved into hand-to-hand combat around their command post. Almost 400 men of the 8th Cavalry Regiment were reported missing in action or killed in action from the battle at Unsan.

In late November 1950, a U.S. soldier captured during the battle of Unsan reported during his debriefing that he and nine other American soldiers were moved to a house near the battlefield. The POWs were taken to an adjacent field and shot. Three of the 10 Americans survived, though one later died. He provided detailed information on the location of the incident and the identities of the other soldiers. Following the armistice in 1953 and the release of POWs, the other surviving soldier confirmed the details provided in 1950.

In May 2004, a joint U.S.-North Korean team excavated a mass grave near the “Camel’s Head” after receiving a report that an elderly North Korean national had witnessed the death of seven or eight U.S. soldiers near that location and provided the team with a general description of the burial site.

The excavation team recovered human remains and other personal artifacts, ultimately leading to the identification of seven soldiers from that site. Among the forensic techniques used in the identifications by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command was that of mitochondrial DNA, five samples of which matched the DNA of Arendt’s brother.

[Grace]

4 April 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Kurt E. Kruize, 35, of Hancock, Minn., died April 4 in Baghdad, Iraq of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 367th Engineer Battalion, St. Cloud, Minn.

[Grace]

U.S. Soldiers MIA from Vietnam War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of four U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

A group burial for U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth L. Stancil, Chattanooga, Tenn.;
Chief Warrant Officer Jesse D. Phelps, Boise, Idaho;
Spc. Thomas Rice, Jr., Spartanburg, S.C.;
Spc. Donald C. Grella, Laurel, Neb.,
as well as Rice’s individual remains burial will be tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery. Stancil, Phelps and Grella were buried individually last year.

The four men were aboard a UH-1D Huey helicopter which failed to return from a mission over Gia Lai Province, South Vietnam to pick up special forces soldiers on Dec. 28, 1965. The exact location of the crash site was not determined during the war, and search and rescue operations were suspended after failing to locate the men after four days.

From 1993-2005, joint U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam teams led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command attempted unsuccessfully to locate the site. But in April 2006, a joint team interviewed two local villagers, one of whom said he had shot down a U.S. helicopter in 1965. The villagers escorted the team to the crash site where wreckage was found. In March 2009, another joint team excavated the area and recovered human remains and other artifacts including an identification tag from Grella.

JPAC’s scientists employed traditional forensic techniques in making these identifications, including comparisons of dental records with the remains found at the site.

[Grace]

Great Britain



It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Fusilier Jonathan Antony Burgess, 20, Swansea, South Wales, who died in Afghanistan on 7 April 2010.

Fusilier Burgess, of 3 Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, died as a result of gunshot wounds following a small arms engagement in the Nad 'Ali area of Helmand province.

[RICHARD]

http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_14847542?IADID=Search-www.dailynews.com-www.dailynews.com


The teachers should have the kids read the citation accompanying the Medal of Honor awarded Maxam. See that his actions were verified by his fellow Marines in Company D of the Third Marine Division. Half a dozen of them will be attending the park renaming ceremony.

Summarized, this is what Maxam did. Already wounded by grenade fragments, he ran to an abandoned machine gun and began firing on the advancing enemy.

"Corporal Maxam's position received a direct hit from a rocket propelled grenade, knocking him backwards and inflicting severe wounds to his face and right eye," the citation reads.

Maxam got up and kept firing. He was hit again with small arms fire. He got back up and kept firing.

"He gallantly continued to deliver intense machine gun fire, causing the enemy to retreat to cover. In a desperate attempt to silence his weapon, the North Vietnamese threw hand grenades and rifle fire against him, inflicting two additional wounds.

"Too weak to reload his machine gun, Corporal Maxam fell to a prone position and continued to deliver effective fire with his rifle.

"After one and a half hours, during which he was hit repeatedly, he succumbed to his wounds, having successfully defended nearly one half of the perimeter single-handedly."

That is how you win the Medal of Honor. :(

[Grace]

9 April 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died April 9 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in a crash of a CV-22 Osprey. They were assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Killed were:

Maj. Randell D. Voas, 43, of Lakeville, Minn.

Senior Master Sgt. James B. Lackey, 45, of Green Clove Springs, Fla.

[Grace]

7 April 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died April 7 in Mosul, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. The Soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Stewart, Ga..

Killed were:

1st Lt. Robert W. Collins, 24, of Tyrone, Ga., and

Pfc. William A. Blount, 21, of Petal, Miss.

[Grace]

8 April 2010



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

Sgt. Roberto E. Diaz Borio, 47, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, died April 8 in Mombassa, Kenya. The circumstances of his death are under investigation. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Cayay, Puerto Rico.

[Grace]

Germany



Cpl. Martin Augustyniak, 28, Bielefeld, Germany

Master Sgt. Nils Bruns, 35, Oldendorf, Germany

Cpl. Robert Hartert, 25, Freital, Germany

All from 3. Kompanie, Fallschirmjägerbataillon 373 (3rd Company, 373rd Parachute Battalion)

German soldiers killed in a firefight after insurgents attacked a patrol southwest of Kunduz, Afghanistan, on April 2, 2010

[Grace]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/March16th/flag-canada.gif



One Canadian soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated during a dismounted security patrol in Dand district at approximately 7:30 a.m. Kandahar time on 11 April 2010. The incident occurred in the vicinity of Belanday, Dand district, approximately eight-kilometres southwest of Kandahar City.

Killed in action was Private Tyler William Todd, 26, Kitchener, Ontario, from the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alberta. He was serving as a member with Task Force 3-09 Battle Group.

[Grace]

9 April 2010



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

Sgt. Sean M. Durkin, 24, of Aurora, Colo. died April 9 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device near Forward Operating Base Wilson, Afghanistan, on March 27. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, Fort Carson, Colo.

[Grace]

11 April 2010



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

Spc. Joseph T. Caron, 21, of Tacoma, Wash., died April 11 in Char Bagh, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

9 April 2010



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

Cpl. Michael D. Jankiewicz, 23, of Ramsey, N.J., died April 9 in Zabul, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when the CV-22 Osprey he was flying in crashed. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

[Grace]

Army Releases March Suicide Data

The Army released suicide data today for the month of March. Among active-duty soldiers in March, there were 13 (11 active Army; one Army National Guard; one Army Reserves) potential suicides: one (active Army) has been confirmed as suicide, and 12 (10 active Army; one Army National Guard; one Army Reserves) remain under investigation. For February, the Army reported 14 potential suicides (11 active Army; one Army National Guard; two Army Reserves) among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, two of those (two active Army) have been confirmed as suicides, and 12 (nine active Army; one Army National Guard; two Army Reserves) remain under investigation.

During March, among reserve-component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were eight (eight Army National Guard; no Army Reserves) potential suicides: none have been confirmed; all eight remain under investigation. For February, among that same group, there were eight (six Army National Guard; two Army Reserves) potential suicides. Of those, five (three Army National Guard; two Army Reserves) were confirmed as suicides and three (three Army National Guard) are pending determination of the manner of death.

For reference, the Army's total for 1st Quarter Calendar Year 2009 was 53 for active-duty and 23 for not-on-active-duty. For 1st Quarter Calendar Year 2010, the totals were 39 for active-duty and 32 for not-on-active-duty.

[RICHARD]

http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_14885262?IADID=Search-www.dailynews.com-www.dailynews.com

:(

[Grace]

8 April 2010



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

Pfc. Jonathon D. Hall, 23, of Chattanooga, Tenn., died April 8, at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device at Contingency Outpost Khayr-Kot-Castle, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

18 April 2010



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

Sgt. Randolph A. Sigley, 28, of Richmond, Ky., died April 18 in Bagram, Afghanistan. The circumstances of his death are under investigation. He was assigned to the 2123rd Transportation Company, Richmond, Ky.

[Grace]

Germany

15 April 2010



Three German soldiers killed when a joint German-Belgian patrol was attacked in Baghlan province, Afghanistan.

Maj. Jörn Radloff, 38, Unteroffizierschule des Heeres (NCO School of the Army)

Sgt. Josef Kronawitter, 24. Gebirgspionierbataillon 8 (Mountain Engineer Battalion 8)

Sgt. 1st Class Marius Dubnicki, 32. Gebirgspionierbataillon 8 (Mountain Engineer Battalion 8)

[Grace]

Germany

15 April 2010


Surgeon Thomas Broer, 33. Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Ulm (Ulm Military Hospital)

Killed when a German convoy was attacked in Baghlan province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Netherlands

17 April 2010



Marine Marc Harders, 23

Cpl. Jeroen Houweling, 29

1e Bataljon, Nederland Korps Mariniers (1st Battalion, Netherlands Marine Corps)

Dutch Marines killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Viking tracked vehicle during an operation in Deh Reshan, northwest of Tarin Kowt, in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

18 April 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Charlie C. Antonio, 28, of Kahului, Hawaii, died April 18 in Annassar, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

[Grace]

U.S. Airman MIA from WWII is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Walter A. McClellan will be buried Friday in his hometown of Pensacola, Fla.

On April 17, 1945, McClellan’s B-17 Flying Fortress was struck by enemy fighters while on a bombing run against a rail depot in Dresden, Germany. Following the war, U.S. teams attempted to locate the remains of the crew but because the area was under Soviet control, no further searches could be conducted. The U.S. Army was forced to declare the remains of the “Towering Titan’s” crew to be non-recoverable.

Two reports from German citizens in 1956 and 2007 indicated that the remains of a 19-year-old were buried as an “unknown” in a local church cemetery in Burkhardswalde. Church records revealed that the grave held the remains of a young American flyer who had parachuted from his aircraft over the town of Biensdorf, was captured and killed by German SS forces near Burkhardswalde. He was first buried in the town’s sports field, but exhumed by the townspeople after the war and reburied in the church cemetery.

In September 2008, a recovery team of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command exhumed the grave in Burkhardswalde and recovered human remains and other artifacts, including a silver Army Air Forces identification bracelet bearing the emblem of a qualified aerial gunner. The biological profile of the remains and McClellan’s dental records enabled JPAC scientists to establish the identification.

[Grace]

19 April 2010



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

Sgt. Robert J. Barrett, 20, of Fall River, Mass., died April 19 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when a suicide bomber attacked his unit. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, Fall River, Mass.

[Grace]

18 April 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sgt. James R. Patton, 23, of Fort Benning, Ga.. Died of injuries sustained when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in which he was riding crashed during a joint Iraqi-U.S. raid in Tikrit, Iraq, that killed the two most senior leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga

[Grace]

17 April 2010



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

Sgt. Michael K. Ingram Jr., 23, of Monroe, Mich., died April 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

[Grace]

Navy Names Amphibious Ship for Congressman John Murtha

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today the selection of the USS John P. Murtha as the name of the 10th San Antonio class Amphibious Transport Dock ship. Mabus made the announcement at John P. Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County airport in Johnstown, Pa.

The USS John P. Murtha honors the late U.S. representative and Marine who dedicated his life to serving his country. Murtha served a distinguished 37 years in the Marine Corps and received the Bronze Star with Combat “V,” two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry for his service in the Vietnam War, retiring as a colonel in 1990.

In his public life, Murtha served the people of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District from 1974 until his death in 2010. In his position as the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, he oversaw funding issues for the Department of Defense, including the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and the intelligence community.

"Both in uniform and in the halls of Congress, Chairman Murtha dedicated his life to serving his country both in the Marine Corps and Congress. His unwavering support of our sailors and Marines, and in particular our wounded warriors, was well known and deeply appreciated," said Mabus.

The future USS John P. Murtha will be used to transport and land Marines, their equipment and supplies, by embarked air cushion or conventional landing craft or expeditionary fighting vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. It will support amphibious assault, special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions through the first half of the 21st century.

The amphibious transport dock ship will be 684 feet in length, have a waterline beam of 105 feet, displace approximately 25,000 tons, and will make speed in excess of 22 knots. It will be crewed by 363 personnel and embark an additional 700 Marines.

[Grace]

23 April 2010



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

Command Sgt. Maj. John K. Laborde, 53, of Waterloo, Iowa, died April 22 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 649th Regional Support Group, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

[Grace]

22 April 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Worrell, 35, of Virginia Beach, Va., died April 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 702nd Combat Support Battalion, 4th Stryker Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

[Grace]

23 April 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died April 23 in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while conducting combat operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

Killed were:

Sgt. Ronald A. Kubik, 21, of Brielle, N.J., and .

Sgt. Jason A. Santora, 25, of Farmingville, N.Y.

[Grace]

From the ARMY TIMES -


18 veterans commit suicide each day
By Rick Maze - Staff writer Posted : Saturday Apr 24, 2010 9:27:34 EDT

Troubling new data show there are an average of 950 suicide attempts each month by veterans who are receiving some type of treatment from the Veterans Affairs Department.

Seven percent of the attempts are successful, and 11 percent of those who don’t succeed on the first attempt try again within nine months.
The numbers, which come at a time when VA is strengthening its suicide prevention programs, show about 18 veteran suicides a day, about five by veterans who are receiving VA care.

Access to care appears to be a key factor, officials said, noting that once a veteran is inside the VA care program, screening programs are in place to identify those with problems, and special efforts are made to track those considered at high risk, such as monitoring whether they are keeping appointments.

A key part of the new data shows the suicide rate is lower for veterans aged 18 to 29 who are using VA health care services than those who are not. That leads VA officials to believe that about 250 lives have been saved each year as a result of VA treatment.

VA’s suicide hotline has been receiving about 10,000 calls a month from current and former service members. The number is 1-800-273-8255. Service members and veterans should push 1 for veterans’ services.

Dr. Janet Kemp, VA’s national suicide prevention coordinator, credits the hotline with rescuing 7,000 veterans who were in the act of suicide — in addition to referrals, counseling and other help.

Suicide attempts by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans remains a key area of concern. In fiscal 2009, which ended Sept. 30, there were 1,621 suicide attempts by men and 247 by women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, with 94 men and four women dying.

In general, VA officials said, women attempt suicide more often, but men are more likely to succeed in the attempt, mainly because women use less lethal and less violent means while men are more likely to use firearms.

Suicide attempts among veterans appear to follow those trends, officials said.

[wombat2u2004]

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the RSL,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife..
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It's so easy to forget them,
For it is so many times
That our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys,
Went to battle, but we know,

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days..

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."

[Grace]

28 April 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Rivers Jr., 22, of Birmingham, Ala., died April 28 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

NBC news showed some of the service from Arlington last evening. The remains were buried in one casket, and the widow of one of the men was present for the burial.

September 1, 1944



U.S. Airmen MIA from WWII are Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of eight U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been accounted-for and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

The group remains of Lt. Jack S. M. Arnett, Charleston, W.V.; Flight Officer William B. Simpson, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Tech. Sgt. Charles T. Goulding, Marlboro, N.Y.; Tech. Sgt. Robert J. Stinson, San Bernardino, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Jimmie Doyle, Lamesa, Texas; Staff Sgt. Leland D. Price, Oakwood, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. Earl E. Yoh, Scott, Ohio, and the individual remains of Lt. Frank J. Arhar, Lloydell, Pa. were buried today in Arlington National Cemetery. The individual remains of Arnett, Yoh, Doyle and Stinson were buried earlier by their families.

On Sept. 1, 1944, their B-24J Liberator bomber was shot down while on a bombing mission of enemy targets near the town of Koror, Republic of Palau. Crewmen on other aircraft reported seeing Arnett’s aircraft come apart in the air and crash into the sea between Babelthuap and Koror islands. Two parachutes were spotted, but none of the 11-man crew ever returned to friendly territory. An aerial search was unsuccessful, and more thorough recovery operations could not be conducted due to Japanese control of the area.

Post-war Japanese documents established that three other members of the crew survived the crash but died while prisoners of the Japanese. In 1949, the American Graves Registration Service declared the remains of all 11 crew members to be non-recoverable.

In October 2000, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command mounted several investigations on Babelthaup island to attempt to locate several reported mass burial sites. A team returned in November 2001, but their excavation did not recover any material or biological evidence indicating a mass burial. They returned again January 2004, and shortly before the team completed their excavation, they were contacted by a private wreckage hunting group called the “Bent Prop Project” which had discovered the wreckage of a B-24 on the ocean floor four miles northeast of where a diagram from U.S. records indicated a crash site. The JPAC team examined the wreckage and recovered remains.

Divers from JPAC and the U.S. Navy examined the underwater site again in 2005 where they recovered more remains and material evidence. After stabilizing the underwater site for safety reasons, the joint JPAC-U.S. Navy team dived on the site again in early 2007 and recovered additional remains. The joint team returned again in 2008 and recovered more remains and evidence.

The use of mitochondrial DNA analysis from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, the biological profile of the remains, dental records, material evidence including machine gun serial numbers and identification tags of Arnett, Doyle and Yoh, enabled JPAC scientists to establish the identifications.

[Grace]

24 April 2010



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

Sgt. Grant A. Wichmann, 27, of Golden, Colo., died April 24 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., of wounds sustained March 12 when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire at Out Post Bari Alai, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

[Grace]

27 April 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Keith A. Coe, 30, of Auburndale, Fla., died April 27 in Khalis, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

[Grace]

27 April 2010



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

Sgt. Nathan P. Kennedy, 24, of Claysville, Pa., died April 27, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire near Quarando Village, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

[Grace]

29 April 2010



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

1st Lt. Salvatore S. Corma, 24, of Wenonah, N.J., died April 29 at Forward Operating Base Bullard, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using improvised explosive devices. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

27 April 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Anthony O. Magee, 29, of Hattiesburg, Miss., died April 27 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, of wounds sustained April 24 when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire at Contingency Operating Base Kalsu, Iskandariyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

[Grace]

3 May 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Airman 1st Class Austin H. Gates Benson, 19, of Hellertown, Pa., died May 3 of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident near Khyber, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 54th Combat Communications Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

[Grace]

Great Britain

3 May 2010




It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Lance Corporal Barry Buxton, 27, from Meir, Stoke-on-Trent. 21 Engineer Regiment in Afghanistan on 3 May 2010.

LCpl Buxton was involved in a traffic accident whilst driving alongside the Nahr-e Bughra canal and died of his injuries soon afterwards at the UK hospital in Camp Bastion.

[Grace]

Great Britain

It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Sapper Daryn Roy, 28, Consett, County Durham of 21 Engineer Regiment in Afghanistan on 3 May 2010.

Sapper Roy's vehicle was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device, while he was travelling near Patrol Base Pimon, he was evacuated by helicopter but died of his injuries at the Hospital in Camp Bastion.

[RICHARD]

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_15009490
:(:(

[wombat2u2004]

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_15009490
:(:(


Sad mate.
But soon they'll run in to each other again, up top ;)

[Grace]

4 May2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Ralph Mena, 27, of Hutchinson, Kan., died May 4 in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to 72nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 7th Signal Brigade, 5th Signal Command, Mannheim, Germany.

[Grace]

2 May 2010



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

Master Sgt. Mark W. Coleman, 40, of Centerville, Wash., died May 2 at Khakrez, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

[Grace]

5 May 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

1st Lt. Brandon A. Barrett, 27, of Marion, Ind., died May 5 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Lt. Barrett was a member of the Class of 2006, USNA.

[Grace]

Great Britain


Cpl. Harvey Alex Holmes, 22, Hyde, England
Company A, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment

Killed when a roadside bomb detonated while he was providing protection for a patrol close to Patrol Base Waterloo in Sangin district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on May 2, 2010

[Grace]

Canada


Petty Officer 2nd Class Craig Blake, 37, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada

Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic, attached to Task Force 1-10

Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a dismounted operation in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province, about 15.5 miles (25 km) southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on May 3, 2010

[Grace]

1 May 2010



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

Spc. Eric M. Finniginam, 26, of Colonia, Federated States of Micronesia, died May 1 at Forward Operating Base Blessing, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

[Grace]

6 May 2010



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

Spc. Wade A. Slack, 21, of Waterville, Maine, died May 6 at Jaghatu, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 707th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

[wombat2u2004]

The USA Govt should be ashamed of themselves for the way they have handled this matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuN4934pL4o&NR=1

[Grace]

6 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Richard R. Penny, 21, of Fayetteville, Ark., died May 6 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

3 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Esau S.A. Gonzales, 30, of White Deer, Texas, died May 3 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 38th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, Fort Stewart, Ga.

[Grace]

Great Britain



Cpl. Christopher Lewis Harrison, 26, Watford, England

Company B, 40 Commando, Royal Marines

Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a patrol in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on May 9, 2010

[Grace]

7 May 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Davis, 19, of Perry, Iowa, died May 7 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

6 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Christopher Rangel, 22, of San Antonio, Texas, died May 6 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

8 may 2010



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

Capt. Kyle A. Comfort, 27, of Jacksonville, Ala., died May 8 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

[Grace]

10 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Kurt S. Shea, 21, of Frederick, Md., died May 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

This incident is under investigation

[Grace]

9 May 2010



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

Spc. Jeremy L. Brown, 20, of McMinnville, Tenn., died May 9 at Contingency Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

11 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The following Marines died May 11 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:

Cpl. Jeffery W. Johnson, 21, of Tomball, Texas, and .

Sgt. Kenneth B. May, Jr., 26, of Kilgore, Texas.

Johnson and May were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

[Grace]

12 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Donald J. Lamar II, 23, of Fredericksburg, Va., died May 12 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

12 May 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Joshua D. Desforges, 23, of Ludlow, Mass., died May 12 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

14 May 2010


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

Spc. Denis D. Kisseloff, 45, of Saint Charles, Mo., died May 14 at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using rocket propelled grenade and small arms fires. He was assigned to the 1141st Engineer Company, Kansas City, Mo.

[Grace]

Army Releases April Suicide Data

The Army released suicide data today for the month of April. Among active-duty soldiers, there were ten potential suicides: one has been confirmed as suicide, and nine remain under investigation. For March, the Army reported 13 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of the report, four have been confirmed as suicides, and nine remain under investigation. During April 2010, among reserve soldiers who were not on active duty, there were five potential suicides. For March, among that same group, there were nine total suicides. Of those, three were confirmed as suicides and seven are pending determination of the manner of death.

The Army is also announcing updated numbers for 2009 to now reflect 163 active duty suicides. This adjustment is based on subsequent review of additional case information by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, resulting in the re-characterization of 2 cases initially deemed to be accidental deaths, now confirmed as suicides, and one case, previously pending determination, now also confirmed as suicide.

“So far for 2010 we are noticing an upward trend in the number of non-active duty suicides. There are some indications that our reservists are being doubly affected with additional stress by the challenging job market, recovering economy and uncertainty” said Col. Chris Philbrick, director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force.

“The Army continues engagement efforts with a multitude of veteran and military service organizations, other government agencies, concerned citizens, and the total Army family to develop innovative and comprehensive strategies to help both our active and non-active duty soldiers,” said Philbrick. “Given the complex nature of suicide, and the different environments our soldiers serve in, and are returning to, we welcome the opportunity to develop relationships and common approaches to this national challenge. Our soldiers are representatives of our nation.” he said.

[Grace]

Canada


Private Kevin Thomas McKay, 24, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, from the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alberta. He was serving as a member of the Task Force 3-09 Battle Group.

Killed in action when an improvised explosive device detonated during a dismounted night patrol in the Panjwayi district, approximately 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City, at 8:00 p.m. Kandahar time on May 13, 2010.

[Grace]

Romania


2nd Lt. Valerica Leu, 31, Murgeni, Romania. Serving with Batalionul 33 Manevra (33rd Maneuver Battalion)

Died at a field hospital at Lagman Base of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb detonated in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on May 12, 2010.

[Grace]

Grim Milestone: 1,000 Americans Dead

The rest of the story. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/us/19dead.html?hp)

[Grace]

16 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Petty Officer Zarian Wood, 29, of Houston, Texas, died May 16 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device blast while on dismounted patrol. Wood was assigned as a hospital corpsman to Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.

[Grace]

16 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Nicholas D. Paradarodriguez, 29, of Stafford, Va., died May 16 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

17 May 2010




The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Adam L. Perkins, 27, of Antelope, Calif. died May 17 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, IMarine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

[Grace]

18 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of five soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died May 18 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their convoy with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

Killed were:

Col. John M. McHugh, 46, of New Jersey, assigned to the U.S. Army Battle Command Training Program, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.;

Lt. Col. Paul R. Bartz, 43, of Waterloo, Wis., assigned to Headquarters, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.;

Lt. Col. Thomas P. Belkofer, 44, of Perrysburg, Ohio, assigned to Headquarters, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.;

Staff Sgt. Richard J. Tieman, 28, of Waynesboro, Pa., assigned to Special Troops Battalion, V Corps, Heidelberg, Germany; and

Spc. Joshua A. Tomlinson, 24, of Dubberly, La., assigned to Special Troops Battalion, V Corps, Heidelberg, Germany.

[Grace]

18 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Patrick Xavier Jr., 24, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., died May 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

19 May 2010



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

Staff Sgt. Shane S. Barnard, 38, of Desmet, S.D., died May 19 in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when he stepped on a secondary improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

[Grace]

17 May 2010



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

Pfc. Billy G. Anderson, 20, of Alexandria, Tenn., died May 17, in Badghis province Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with improvised explosive devices. He was assigned to the 508th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

Great Britain



It is with regret that the Ministry of Defence must announce that Corporal Stephen Walker, 42, from 40 Commando Royal Marines, serving as part of Combined Force Sangin, was killed in Afghanistan, yesterday, Friday 21 May 2010.


Corporal Walker was killed in an explosion that happened near Patrol Base Almas, in Sangin, Helmand province.

He was conducting a joint foot patrol with the Afghan National Army to reassure and improve the security for the local population in the area when the incident took place.

[Grace]

18 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Philip P. Clark, 19, of Gainesville, Fla., died May 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

22 May 2010



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

Pfc. Jason D. Fingar, 24, of Columbia, Mo., died May 22 in Durai, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his military vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

[Grace]

20 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Stanley J. Sokolowski, III, 26, of Ocean, N.J. died May 20 in Kirkuk, Iraq, in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

[Grace]

21 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Amilcar H. Gonzalez, 26, of Miami, Fla., died May 21 in Ash Shura, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

[Grace]

Canada


OTTAWA — One Canadian soldier was killed after an improvised explosive device detonated during a routine security operation, about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City, in the Panjwa’i District, at approximately 12:30 p.m. Kandahar time on 24 May 2010

Killed in action was Trooper Larry John Zuidema Rudd from the Royal Canadian Dragoons, serving with 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ontario.

[Grace]

Lt. John Finn died today at the age of 100. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100527/ap_on_re_us/us_obit_war_hero)

[Grace]

24 May 2010


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

Pfc. Christopher R. Barton, 22, of Concord, N.C., died May 24 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

24 May 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Maj. Ronald W. Culver Jr., 44, of Shreveport, La., died May 24 in Numaniyah, Iraq, when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, Shreveport, La

[Grace]

25 May 2010


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

Sgt. Edwin Rivera, 28, of Waterford, Conn., died May 25 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained May 20 when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using indirect fire at Contingency Outpost Xio Haq, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry, Norwalk, Conn.

[Grace]

Great Britain


It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Gunner Zak Cusack from 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, serving as part of Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (South), was killed in Afghanistan on 26 May 2010.

Gunner Cusack was participating in a routine reassurance patrol when he was killed during a small arms fire engagement with insurgent forces in an area around Enezai Village.

Gunner Zak Cusack was born on 16 September 1989 in Stoke on Trent. He joined the Army in September 2006, attending the Army Foundation College, Harrogate.

[Grace]

27 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Jacob C. Leicht, 24, of College Station, Texas, died May 27 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

[Grace]

Great Britain



It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Corporal Stephen Paul Curley from 40 Commando Royal Marines, serving as part of Combined Force Sangin, was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday 26 May 2010.

Corporal Curley was killed in an explosion while he was conducting a ground domination foot patrol through the southern Green Zone in order to reassure local nationals and understand their concerns about living in the area.

Corporal Stephen Curley was 26 years old and was born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Married to Kirianne, he lived in Exeter with their five-month-old son William. He joined Royal Marines Recruit Training at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines on 31 March 2003, passing for duty on 17 March 2004

[Grace]

Italy



Sgt. Massimiliano Ramadu

From: Velletri, Italy
Age: 33
Unit: 32° Reggimento Genio, Brigata Alpina Taurinense (32 Engineer Regiment, Alpine Brigade Taurinense)
Died: May 17, 2010

One of two Italian soldiers killed when their convoy struck a roadside bomb on its way from the western city of Herat to Bala Murghab in northern Afghanistan on May 17, 2010

[Grace]

Italy



Cpl. Maj. Luigi Pascazio

From: Grumo Appula, Italy
Age: 27
Unit: 32° Reggimento Genio, Brigata Alpina Taurinense (32 Engineer Regiment, Alpine Brigade Taurinense)
Died: May 17, 2010

One of two Italian soldiers killed when their convoy struck a roadside bomb on its way from the western city of Herat to Bala Murghab in northern Afghanistan on May 17, 2010

[Grace]

Canada


Col. Geoff Parker

From: Oakville, Ontario
Age: 42
Unit: Royal Canadian Regiment, attached to Land Forces Central Area Headquarters
Died: May 18, 2010

Killed along with five U.S. soldiers when a suicide car bomber detonated an explosive device near an ISAF convoy traveling on Darulaman Road in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 18, 2010

[Grace]

France


Capt. Christophe Barek-Deligny


From: Paris, France
Age: 38
Unit: 22e Compagnie d'Appui, 3e Régiment du Génie (22nd Support Company, 3rd Engineer Regiment)
Died: May 22, 2010

Killed along with a Dutch soldier and an Afghan interpreter when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on May 22, 2010

[Grace]

Netherlands




Cpl. Luc Janzen


From: Netherlands
Age: 25
Unit: 42 Pantserinfanteriebataljon (42nd Armored Infantry Battalion)
Died: May 22, 2010

Killed along with a French soldier and an Afghan interpreter when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on May 22, 2010

[cassiesmom]

Grace, this is not a soldier on active duty, but I would like to post it anyway, if I could. This is a 30-year-old Chicago police officer and Iraq veteran who was killed when a group of 4 men tried to steal his motor cycle. He lived in a neighborhood on the south side of Chicago with nice houses, families, and people who are truly concerned that the kids in their neighborhood stay out of trouble, get the best possible education, and have opportunities to succeed in life. It's just a very sad story.


This is from the Officer Down Memorial Page:
Police Officer Thomas E. Wortham IV
Chicago Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, May 20, 2010

Biographical Info
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 2 years, 11 months
Badge Number: 6181

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Shot and killed

Officer Thomas Wortham was shot and killed after identifying himself as a police officer when four suspects attempted to rob him while he was off duty at 11:25 pm.

Officer Wortham was visiting his parents' home to show them pictures from the previous week's Police Week activities that he attended in Washington. As he was leaving, four men approached and attempted to rob him of his motorcycle. Officer Wortham drew his service weapon and fired at the suspects, but was fatally shot in the abdomen. He was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.

His father, a retired Chicago police sergeant, witnessed the shooting and exchanged shots with the suspects, killing one and seriously wounding another. The remaining two suspects fled in a vehicle, but were taken into custody the following day.

Officer Wortham had served with the Chicago Police Department for nearly three years and was assigned to the Englewood District. He had recently returned from his second tour of duty in Iraq while serving with the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Officer Wortham is survived by his sister and parents.

[Grace]

Absolutely, this is appropriate. I heard about this on the news.

Thanks for posting it.

[Grace]

From the AP -


1,000th GI killed in Afghan war was on 2nd tour
By PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press



KERRVILLE, Texas – The 1,000th American serviceman killed in Afghanistan had already fallen once to a hidden explosive, driving his Humvee over a bomb in Iraq in 2007. The blast punched the dashboard radio into his face and broke his leg in two places.

Marine Cpl. Jacob C. Leicht didn't survive his second encounter with a bomb this week. The death of the 24-year-old Texan born on the Fourth of July marks a grim milestone in the Afghanistan war.

Leicht, who spent two painful years recovering from the Iraq blast, was killed Thursday when he stepped on a land mine in Helmand province that ripped off his right arm. He had written letters from his hospital bed begging to be put back on the front lines, and died less than a month into that desperately sought second tour.

An Associated Press tally shows Leicht is the 1,000th U.S. serviceman killed in the Afghan conflict. The first death — nearly nine years ago — was also a soldier from the San Antonio area.

"He said he always wanted to die for his country and be remembered," said Jesse Leicht, his younger brother. "He didn't want to die having a heart attack or just being an old man. He wanted to die for something."

The AP bases its tally on Defense Department reports of deaths suffered as a direct result of the Afghan conflict, including personnel assigned to units in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Uzbekistan.

Other news organizations count deaths suffered by service members assigned elsewhere as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, which includes operations in the Philippines, the Horn of Africa and at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Leicht's brothers told the AP that the military also told the family that his death put the toll at 1,000.

When military officers went to tell Leicht's parents that their adopted son had died in combat, sheriff's deputies had to help navigate them to the 130-acre family ranch tucked impossibly deep in the Texas Hill Country.

It was here that Jacob Leicht chopped thick cedar trees and hiked the rugged limestone peaks, growing up into an imposing 6-5, 200-pound Marine with a soft heart. He watched "Dora the Explorer" with his brother's children and confided to family that he was troubled by the thought of young civilians being killed in battle.

But for Leicht, born in a Lemoore, Calif., Navy hospital, the battlefield was the destination. He threw away a college ROTC scholarship after just one semester because he feared it would lead away from the front lines.

"His greatest fear was that they would tell him he would have to sit at a desk for the rest of his life," said Jonathan Leicht, his older brother.

When Jacob Leicht's wish finally came true, it didn't last long.

His first deployment was to Iraq in 2007, but he was there just three weeks when Jesse Leicht said his brother drove over two 500-pound bombs hidden beneath the road.

One detonated, the other didn't. The blast tore through the Humvee, shooting the radio into Leicht's face and knocking him unconscious. He felt something pinch his thumb, and the gunner's face was filleted so badly by shrapnel that medics couldn't keep water in his mouth.

None of the five people were inside the vehicle died. Jesse Leicht said an Iraqi interpreter, the only one on board who wasn't seriously injured, dragged his brother from the mangled vehicle. The blast snapped Jacob Leicht's fibula and tibula, and the recovery was an agonizing ordeal of pins and rods and bolts drilled into his bones.

But all Jacob Leicht could think about was going back. He launched a campaign for himself at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, writing letters and making phone calls about returning to combat. More than two years later, he was finally healthy enough to serve again.

Nine days before his brother stepped on a bomb in Afghanistan, Jesse Leicht enlisted in the Marines. Using Facebook to reach a friend stationed at a base not far from his brother, Jesse asked the soldier a favor: If you see Jacob, let him know I signed up like him.

"Hopefully," Jesse Leicht said, "he got the word."

[Grace]

Very moving article from our Sunday paper. My husband knows this man and has heard his stories.

http://www.annarbor.com/news/ann-arbor-man-spends-time-searching-for-american-soldiers-lost-in-south-pacific/index.php

[Grace]

New England's War Dead -

Afghanistan (http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/gallery/ne_war_dead_enduringfreedom/)


Iraq (http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/gallery/new_england_war_dead/)

[Daisy and Delilah]

God Bless all of our fallen men and women. May you all rest in peace on this Memorial Day.:( :( :(

[Grace]

30 May 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Anthony A. Dilisio, 20, of Macomb, Mich., died May 30 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, IIMarine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

Great Britain


It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Marine Scott Gregory Taylor, 20, from Alpha Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines, was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday 30 May 2010.


Marine Taylor was killed as a result of an explosion which occurred when he and Alpha Company were conducting a foot patrol to help reassure the local population and to increase security within the area around Sangin.

[Grace]

29 May 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Pfc. Jake W. Suter, 18, of Los Angeles, Calif., died May 29 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

This incident is under investigation.

[Grace]

30 May 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Alvaro R. Regalado Sessarego, 37, of Virginia Beach, Va., died May 30 at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, of injuries sustained April 18 from a non-combat related incident at Dahuk, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

[Grace]

1 June 2010


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

Spc. Jonathan K. Peney, 22, of Marietta, Ga., died June 1 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when he was shot by enemy forces. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga

[Grace]

22 May 1967



Air Force Pilot Missing From Vietnam War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Col. Elton L. Perrine of Pittsford, N.Y., was buried last week at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. On May 22, 1967, Perrine and Capt. Kenneth F. Backus completed a nighttime strike against the Cao Nung Railroad Yard near the town of Kep in North Vietnam. Seconds after the bomb run, a nearby aircrew reported seeing an isolated explosion approximately three miles east of the target, thought to be Perrine’s F-4C Phantom aircraft crashing. Search and rescue attempts were not initiated due to heavy anti-aircraft fire in the area.

Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 28 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses and research in the National Archives, four locations in Lang Son Province were pinpointed as potential crash sites, separated by as many as 10 miles.

Between 1999 and 2008, U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, further analyzed leads, interviewed villagers, conducted two surveys and four excavations. The teams recovered small pieces of aircraft wreckage, human remains, personal effects and life-support equipment from the four locations.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Perrine’s mother – in the identification of his remains. No remains connected to Backus were recovered at the locations.

[Grace]

2 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pvt. Francisco J. Guardado-Ramirez, 21, of Sunland Park, N.M., died June 2 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

[Grace]

Korean War - 1951



Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Master Sgt. Roy E. Head of Clinchport, Va., will be buried Saturday in Duffield, Va. Head was assigned to Headquarters Company, 49th Field Artillery Battalion. After the 1953 armistice, it was learned from surviving POWs that he had been captured in February 1951, marched north to a POW camp in Suan County, North Korea, and died of malnutrition a few months later. Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with one of the boxes indicated the remains were exhumed near Suan County. This location correlates with Head’s last known location.

Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with surviving POW eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of two of his brothers -- in the identification of the remains.

More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,025 service members still remain missing from the conflict.

[Grace]

Denmark



Pvt. Sophia Bruun, 22

Unit: C Kompagniet, Gardehusarregimentet (Company C, Guard Hussar Regiment)
Died: June 1, 2010

Killed when her Piranha personnel carrier was hit by a roadside bomb while on patrol near Patrol Base Bridzar, approximately three miles (six km) northeast of Gereskh in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Warminster, England



Marine Anthony Dean Hotine


Age: 21
Unit: Company A, 40 Commando, Royal Marines
Died: June 2, 2010

Killed when a roadside bomb detonated while his unit was on patrol with the Afghan National Army near Patrol Base Jamil in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

4 June 2010



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

1st Lt. Joseph J. Theinert, 24, of Sag Harbor, N.Y., died June 4 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using a rocket propelled grenade and an improvised explosive device. He was a New York Army National Guardsman assigned to 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y

[Grace]

6 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The following Marines died June 6 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:

Sgt. Brandon C. Bury, 26, of Kingwood, Texas.

Lance Cpl. Derek Hernandez, 20, of Edinburg, Texas.

Cpl. Donald M. Marler, 22, of St. Louis, Mo.

Bury, Hernandez and Marler were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

This incident is under investigation.

[Grace]

6 June 2010



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

2nd Lt. Michael E. McGahan, 23, of Orlando, Fla., died June 6 in Khogyani district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

7 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. John K. Rankel, 23, of Speedway, Ind., died June 7 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

[Grace]

7 June 2010



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

Spc. Brendan P. Neenan, 21, of Enterprise, Ala., died June 7 at Jelawar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

4 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Steve M. Theobald, 53, of Goose Creek, S.C., died June 4 near Kuwait City, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a military vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 287th Transportation Company, Livingston, Ala.

[Grace]

8 June 2010




The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The following Marines died June 8 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:

Sgt. Derek L. Shanfield, 22, of Hastings, Pa.

Sgt. Zachary J. Walters, 24, of Palm Coast, Fla.

Shanfield and Walters were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

8 June 2010




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

Sgt. Erick J. Klusacek, 22, of Calcium, N.Y., died June 8 at Gerda Serai, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

9 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of four airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died June 9, near Forward Operating Base Jackson, Afghanistan, in a helicopter crash. Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Michael P. Flores, 31, of San Antonio, Texas, assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25, of Grass Lake, Mich., assigned to the 58th Rescue Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Staff Sgt. David C. Smith, 26, of Eight Mile, Ala., assigned to the 66th Rescue Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base.

Senior Airman Benjamin D. White, 24, of Erwin, Tenn., assigned to the 48thRescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

[Grace]

May 22, 1968



Airmen Missing From Vietnam War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of nine U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been accounted-for and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Col. William H. Mason, Camden, Ark.;
Lt. Col. Jerry L. Chambers, Muskogee, Okla.;
Maj. William T. McPhail, Chattanooga, Tenn.;
Maj. Thomas B. Mitchell, Littleton, Colo.;
Chief Master Sgt. John Q. Adam, Bethel, Kan.;
Chief Master Sgt. Calvin C. Glover, Steubenville, Ohio;
Chief Master Sgt. Thomas E. Knebel, Midway, Ark.;
Chief Master Sgt. Melvin D. Rash, Yorktown, Va.;
Master Sgt. Gary Pate, Brooks, Ga., were buried as a group today in Arlington National Cemetery.

The individually identified remains of each airman were previously returned to their families for burial.

On May 22, 1968, these men were aboard a C-130A Hercules on an evening flare mission over northern Salavan Province, Laos. Fifteen minutes after the aircraft made a radio call, the crew of another U.S. aircraft observed a large ground fire near the last known location of Mason’s aircraft. Search and rescue attempts were not initiated due to heavy antiaircraft fire in the area.

Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 40 years. Through interviews with eyewitnesses and research in the National Archives, several locations in Laos and South Vietnam were pinpointed as potential crash sites. Between 1989 and 2008, teams from Laos People’s Democratic Republic and the Vietnam, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, pursued leads, interviewed villagers, and conducted 10 field investigations and four excavations in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. They recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains, crew-related equipment and personal effects.

Scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of the crewmembers’ families – as well as dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.

Since late 1973, the remains of 927 Americans killed in the Vietnam War have been accounted-for and returned to their families. With the accounting of these airmen, 1,719 service members still remain missing from the conflict.

[Grace]

9 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Michael G. Plank, 25, of Cameron Mills, N.Y., died June 9 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

This incident is under investigation.

[Grace]

10 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Gavin R. Brummund, 22, of Arnold, Calif., died June 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

December 7, 1941



WWII Pearl Harbor Sailor Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman missing in action from World War II has been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is U.S. Navy Fireman Third Class Gerald G. Lehman, of Hancock, Mich. He will be buried Saturday in Hancock.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, the battleship USS Oklahoma suffered multiple torpedo hits and capsized. As a result, 429 sailors and Marines died. Following the attack, 36 of these servicemen were identified and the remaining 393 were buried as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 2003, an independent researcher contacted the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) with information he believed indicated that one of the USS Oklahoma casualties who was buried as an unknown could be positively identified. After reviewing the case, JPAC exhumed the casket and discovered that it contained Lehman’s remains.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his sister and nieces -- in the identification of Lehman’s remains.

More than 400,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover, identify and bury approximately 79,000 as known persons. They include those buried with honor as unknowns, those lost at sea, and those missing in action. That number also includes the 1,100 sailors entombed in the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Today, more than 72,000 Americans remain unaccounted-for from WW II.

[Grace]

Great Britain



Cpl. Terry Webster

From: Chester, England
Age: 24
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
Died: June 4, 2010

One of two British soldiers killed in a firefight with Taliban insurgents during a patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj region of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Great Britain



Lance Cpl. Alan Cochran

From: St. Asaph, Wales
Age: 23
Unit: Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
Died: June 4, 2010

One of two British soldiers killed during a firefight with Taliban insurgents in the Nahr-e Saraj area of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Canada


Sgt. Martin Goudreault

From: Sudbury, Ontario
Age: 35
Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, assigned to 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group
Died: June 6, 2010

Killed after a roadside bomb detonated during a foot patrol in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province, about 9.3 miles (15 km) southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Poland



Sgt. Konrad Rygiel


From: Poland
Age: 28
Unit: 2e Régiment étranger de Parachutistes, Légion étrangère (2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, French Foreign Legion)
Died: June 6, 2010

Killed by a rocket during a firefight that began when Taliban insurgents attacked French soldiers providing medical aid to a village in Kapisa province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Australia



Sapper Darren Smith

From: Adelaide, Australia
Age: 26
Unit: 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, assigned to 1st Mentoring Task Force
Died: June 7, 2010

One of two Australian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a dismounted patrol in the Mirabad Valley region of Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. Smith's explosives detection dog, Herbie, also was killed.

[Grace]

Australia



Sapper Jacob Moerland

From: Cairns, Queensland
Age: 21
Unit: 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, assigned to 1st Mentoring Task Force
Died: June 7, 2010

One of two Australian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a dismounted patrol in the Mirabad Valley region of Uruzgan province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Great Britain



Lance Bombardier Mark Chandler


From: Nailsworth, Gloucestershire
Age: 32
Unit: 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
Died: June 8, 2010

Killed in a small arms fire engagement with insurgent forces in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Great Britain


Pvt. Jonathan Monk


From: London, England
Age: 25
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, attached to Company C, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
Died: June 9, 2010

Killed when a roadside bomb detonated in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Bob Herbert's latest column from the NY Times -


The Courage to Leave
By BOB HERBERT

There is no good news coming out of the depressing and endless war in Afghanistan. There once was merit to our incursion there, but that was long ago. Now we’re just going through the tragic motions, flailing at this and that, with no real strategy or decent end in sight.

The U.S. doesn’t win wars anymore. We just funnel the stressed and underpaid troops in and out of the combat zones, while all the while showering taxpayer billions on the contractors and giant corporations that view the horrors of war as a heaven-sent bonanza. BP, as we’ve been told repeatedly recently, is one of the largest suppliers of fuel to the wartime U.S. military.

Seven American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan on Monday but hardly anyone noticed. Far more concern is being expressed for the wildlife threatened by the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico than for the G.I.’s being blown up in the wilds of Afghanistan.

Early this year, we were told that at long last the tide had turned in Afghanistan, that the biggest offensive of the war by American, British and Afghan troops was under way in Marja, a town in Helmand Province in the southern part of the country. The goal, as outlined by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, our senior military commander in Afghanistan, was to rout the Taliban and install a splendid new government that would be responsive to the people and beloved by them.

That triumph would soon be followed by another military initiative in the much larger expanse of neighboring Kandahar Province. The Times’s Rod Nordland explained what was supposed to happen in a front-page article this week:

“The goal that American planners originally outlined — often in briefings in which reporters agreed not to quote officials by name — emphasized the importance of a military offensive devised to bring all of the populous and Taliban-dominated south under effective control by the end of this summer. That would leave another year to consolidate gains before President Obama’s July 2011 deadline to begin withdrawing combat troops.”

Forget about it. Commanders can’t even point to a clear-cut success in Marja. As for Kandahar, no one will even use the word “offensive” to describe the military operations there. The talk now is of moving ahead with civilian reconstruction projects, a “civilian surge,” as Mr. Nordland noted.

What’s happening in Afghanistan is not only tragic, it’s embarrassing. The American troops will fight, but the Afghan troops who are supposed to be their allies are a lost cause. The government of President Hamid Karzai is breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent — and widely unpopular to boot. And now, as The Times’s Dexter Filkins is reporting, the erratic Mr. Karzai seems to be giving up hope that the U.S. can prevail in the war and is making nice with the Taliban.

There is no overall game plan, no real strategy or coherent goals, to guide the fighting of U.S. forces. It’s just a mind-numbing, soul-chilling, body-destroying slog, month after month, year after pointless year. The 18-year-olds fighting (and, increasingly, dying) in Afghanistan now were just 9 or 10 when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked in 2001.

Americans have zoned out on this war. They don’t even want to think about it. They don’t want their taxes raised to pay for it, even as they say in poll after poll that they are worried about budget deficits. The vast majority do not want their sons or daughters anywhere near Afghanistan.

Why in the world should the small percentage of the population that has volunteered for military service shoulder the entire burden of this hapless, endless effort? The truth is that top American officials do not believe the war can be won but do not know how to end it. So we get gibberish about empowering the unempowerable Afghan forces and rebuilding a hopelessly corrupt and incompetent civil society.

Our government leaders keep mouthing platitudes about objectives that are not achievable, which is a form of deception that should be unacceptable in a free society.

In announcing, during a speech at West Point in December, that 30,000 additional troops would be sent to Afghanistan, President Obama said: “As your commander in chief, I owe you a mission that is clearly defined and worthy of your service.”

That clearly defined mission never materialized.

Ultimately, the public is at fault for this catastrophe in Afghanistan, where more than 1,000 G.I.’s have now lost their lives. If we don’t have the courage as a people to fight and share in the sacrifices when our nation is at war, if we’re unwilling to seriously think about the war and hold our leaders accountable for the way it is conducted, if we’re not even willing to pay for it, then we should at least have the courage to pull our valiant forces out of it.


source (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/12/opinion/12herbert.html)

[Grace]

In post #658 (http://petoftheday.com/talk/showpost.php?p=2272147&postcount=658), one of the men listed was
1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25, of Grass Lake, Mich.

Here (http://www.annarbor.com/news/chelsea-high-graduate-who-died-in-afghanistan-remembered-as-best-of-the-best/) is an article from our local paper about him.

[Grace]

Today is June 13th.

27 American troops have died since June 1st.

Operation Enduring Freedom has become Operation Never Ending Death.

[Grace]

11 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died June 11 at Forward Operating Base Bullard, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked their unit using an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, Connellsville, Pa.

Killed were:

Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Fike, 38, of Conneautville, Pa.

Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Hoover, 29, of West Elizabeth, Pa.

[Grace]

11 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

They died June 11 in Jalula, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Killed were:

Sgt. Israel P. Obryan, 24, of Newbern, Tenn., and

Spc. William C. Yauch, 23, of Batesville, Ark.

[Grace]

11 June 2010



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

Spc. Christian M. Adams, 26, of Sierra Vista, Ariz., died June 11 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

[Grace]

April 6, 1972



Air Force MIAS from Vietnam War are Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of four U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are Capt. Peter H. Chapman, II, Centerburg, Ohio;
Tech. Sgt. Allen J. Avery, Auburn, Mass.;
Tech. Sgt. Roy D. Prater, Tiffin, Ohio;
and Sgt. James H. Alley, Plantation, Fla., all U.S. Air Force.

Prater is to be buried in Columbia City, Ind., on June 19. Other burials are being scheduled individually by the families of the airmen.

On April 6, 1972, six airmen were flying a combat search and rescue mission in their HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant helicopter over Quang Tri Province in South Vietnam when they were hit by enemy ground fire and crashed. Joint U.S. – Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) field investigations from 1989 to 1992, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), yielded evidence leading to an excavation at the crash site in 1994 as well as two reported burial sites. Team members recovered human remains and personal effects as well as aircraft debris. As a result of these recoveries, all six men on the aircraft were accounted-for in 1997 and buried as a group at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. Three were individually identified at that time. Recent technical advances enabled JPAC to identify additional remains to be those of Prater.

Previously, in 1988, the S.R.V. turned over remains they attributed to an American serviceman, however, the name did not match anyone lost or missing from the Vietnam War. The remains were held by JPAC pending improved technology which might have facilitated an identification later.

In the mid-2000s, JPAC’s laboratory gained increased scientific capability to associate the 1988 remains to the correct loss. The Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) tested these remains against all those servicemembers who were MIA from the Vietnam War with negative results. In 2009, AFDIL expanded its search to make comparisons with previously- resolved individuals. As a result of AFDIL’s mitochondrial DNA testing, JPAC scientists determined that these remains were associated with four of the six airmen from the 1972 crash.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

[Grace]

England



Lance Cpl. Andrew Breeze

From: Manchester, England
Age: 31
Unit: Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
Died: June 12, 2010

Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during an operation to clear an area near Check Point Kingshill in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Poland



Cpl. Milosz Aleksander Gorka

From: Warsaw, Poland
Age: 25
Unit: 25 Brygada Kawalerii Powietrznej (25th Air Cavalry Brigade)
Died: June 12, 2010

Killed when his logistics convoy was attacked with a roadside bomb on Highway 1 seven miles (12 km) southwest of Forward Operating Base Warrior in Ghazni province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Denmark


Airman Martin Kristiansen


From: Denmark
Age: 33
Unit: Danske Flyvevåbnet, som tildeles Ingeniørregimentet, Danske Kampgruppe (Danish Air Force, assigned to Engineering Regiment, Danish Battlegroup)
Died: June 13, 2010

Killed when his armored personnel carrier was hit by a roadside bomb near a Danish forward camp in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Kristiansen's explosive ordnance dog, Loki, also was killed.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/war.casualties/afghanistan/tzcas.martin.kristiansen.dkmod.jpg

[Grace]

11 June 2010



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

Sgt. Mario Rodriguez, 24, of Smithville, Texas, died June 11 in Powrak, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. He was assigned to the 264th Clearance Company, 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne), 20th Engineer Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

12 June 2010



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

Spc. Brian M. Anderson, 24, of Harrisonburg, Va., died June 12 in Za Khel, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

[Grace]

15 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Christopher W. Opat, 29, of Spencer, Iowa, died June 15 in Baquah, Iraq of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

[Grace]

7 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device June 7 in Konar, Afghanistan. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Killed were:

Sgt. Joshua A. Lukeala, 23, of Yigo, Guam;

Spc. Matthew R. Catlett, 23, of Houston, Texas;

Spc. Charles S. Jirtle, 29, of Lawton, Okla.;

Spc. Blaine E. Redding, 22, of Plattsmouth, Neb.

[Grace]

England


It is with regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Marine Steven James Birdsall, 20, from Bravo Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines, died in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, on 14 June 2010, as a result of a gunshot wound he suffered in Afghanistan.

During the late afternoon of Sunday 13 June 2010, Bravo Company was providing security to Royal Engineers who were reinforcing the defences at one of the UK Check Points in Sangin.

At approximately 1629hrs local time, Marine Birdsall received a gunshot wound and was immediately evacuated to Camp Bastion's Role 3 Hospital where his condition was listed as critical.

On 14 June 2010, he was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where, at 1229hrs on 14 June 2010, Marine Birdsall sadly died of his wounds.

[Grace]

Poland



Pfc. Grzegorz Bukowski


From: Poland
Age: 29
Unit: Oddzial Specjalny Zandarmerii Wojskowej (Military Police Special Branch)
Died: June 15, 2010

Died of shrapnel wounds sustained during a missile attack on a Forward Operating Base Warrior in Ghazni province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

16 June 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Jeffrey R. Standfest, 23, of St. Clair, Mich., died June 16 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, IIIMarine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

[Grace]

16 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Michael C. Bailey, 29, of Park Hills, Mo., died June 16 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, IMarine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

[RICHARD]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/obituaries/2406328,CST-NWS-xholl18.article

[Grace]

15 June 2010



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

Spc. Benjamin D. Osborn, 27, of Queensbury, N.Y., died June 15 in Shigalwashheltan district, Konar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky

[Grace]

18 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Seaman William Ortega, 23, of Miami, Fla., died June 18 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device blast while conducting combat operations against enemy forces. Ortega was assigned as a hospital corpsman to Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.

[Grace]

17 June 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Capt. Michael P. Cassidy, 41, of Simpsonville, S.C., died June 17 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

[Grace]

Fiji



Cpl. Taniela Tolevu Rogoiruwai


From: Nausori, Fiji
Age: 32
Unit: Company A, 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment
Died: June 15, 2010

Killed during a firefight with insurgent forces during a patrol in Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

France



Pfc. Steeve Cocol

From: France
Age:
Unit: 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes (1st Parachute Hussar Regiment)
Died: June 18, 2010

Killed when indirect fire struck his position at Combat Outpost Hutnik in Tagab Valley in Kapisa province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

England


Trooper Ashley Smith

From: York, England
Age: 21
Unit: 4th Troop, D Squadron, The Royal Dragoon Guards
Died: June 18, 2010

Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a clearance patrol near a checkpoint in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

16 June 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died June 16 at North Kunduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 161st Engineer Support Company, 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne), 20th Engineer Brigade, 18th Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Killed were:

Spc. Joseph D. Johnson, 24, of Flint, Mich.,

Pfc. Gunnar R. Hotchkin, 31, of Naperville, Ill.

[Grace]

16 June 2010


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

Spc. Nathan W. Cox, 27, of Fremont, Calif., died June 16 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained June 14 when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire at Near Forward Operating Base, Khogyani, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

18 June 2010


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

Pfc. Benjamin J. Park, 25, of Fairfax Station, Va., died June 18 at Zhari district, Kandahar, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

18 June 2010



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

Staff Sgt. James P. Hunter, 25, of South Amherst, Ohio, died June 18 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

From the Washington Post -


KABUL -- Nine NATO troops were killed Monday in a helicopter crash and a spate of attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan, putting June on pace to become the deadliest month for the U.S.-led international force in the nearly nine-year war.

At least 62 NATO service members, including 41 Americans, have been killed this month in Afghanistan -- an average of nearly three per day. Also on Monday, Afghan officials said a deputy district governor was slain in Wardak Province, the latest blow for the U.S. effort to boost local governance in Taliban strongholds.

The surge in NATO casualties comes as the U.S. military is deploying an additional 30,000 troops to Taliban strongholds in an effort to secure them enough for the Afghan government to assume control.

"We're getting into places where we haven't been," Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said in an interview. The Taliban are "going to continue to fight back for those areas so they don't lose their influence or the significant amount of drug money and resources," he added.

Monday's crash marked the deadliest incident for Australian troops since the war began. The country, which has roughly 1,500 troops in Afghanistan, has lost 16 service members, including two killed in a roadside bombing earlier this month. Seven Australian soldiers were wounded in Monday's crash, the officials said, some gravely.

"The families of these soldiers can be extremely proud of their loved ones," Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the head of Australia's Defense Force, said in a statement. "These three soldiers were very experienced. Time after time they have taken the fight to the enemy with courage and determination. I have nothing but admiration for these very brave and committed Australians. They were some of our finest."

Also on Monday, the British government announced that 300 of its troops have been killed in Afghanistan, following the death Monday of a British marine injured Sunday in a roadside bombing in Helmand province. Prime Minister David Cameron called the death of the 300th British service member "desperately sad news," but said British soldiers will remain in Afghanistan because "the Afghans are not yet ready to keep their country safe."

I will post the names once they are released.

[Grace]

World War I



Marine Missing in Action From World War I Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War I, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Marine First Sergeant George H. Humphrey of Utica, N.Y., will be buried on Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery. On Sept. 15, 1918, Humphrey participated in the first U.S.-led offensive of the war under the command of Gen. John J. Pershing. The battle with the Germans became known as the St. Mihiel Offensive. There were 7,000 Allied losses during this offensive and it was the first use of the American use of the term “D-Day” and the first use of tanks by American units.

Humphrey, a member of the U.S. 6th Marine Regiment, attached to the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, was killed in action during the battle and his remains were buried by fellow Marines the next day. In October 1919, a Marine who witnessed the death wrote a letter to Humphrey’s brother recounting the attack near the village of Rembercourt. He included a map of his recollection of the burial site.

Attempts to locate Humphrey’s remains by U.S. Army Graves Registration personnel following the war were unsuccessful. In September 2009, French nationals hunting for war relics found artifacts near Rembercourt-sur-Mad they believed to be those of a World War I American soldier. A month later, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command excavated the area, recovering human remains and military-related items including a marksman’s badge with Humphrey’s name engraved on the back.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC laboratory also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.

[Grace]

21 June 2010



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

Spc. Scott A. Andrews, 21, of Fall River, Mass., died June 21 at Forward Operating Base Lagman, Zabul province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 618th Engineer Support Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineers Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

21 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Timothy G. Serwinowski, 21, of North Tonawanda, N.Y., died June 21 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Grace]

21 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Jacob P. Dohrenwend, 20, of Milford, Ohio, died June 21 at Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

[Grace]

England


It is with regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Marine Paul Warren from Charlie Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines, was killed in Afghanistan on Monday 21 June 2010.

Marine Warren was injured in an explosion when Patrol Base Airport Lounge was attacked by insurgents. Despite being given immediate first aid by his comrades, Marine Warren's injuries proved to be fatal.

Marine Paul Warren was born in Preston and lived with his family in Leyland, Lancashire. He was 23 years old.

[Grace]

Great Britain


It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Lance Corporal Michael Taylor from Charlie Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines, serving as part of Combined Force Sangin, was killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday 22 June 2010.

Lance Corporal Michael Taylor was killed during an exchange of fire with insurgent forces in the Sangin district of Helmand province. He was manning one of the sangars in the patrol base when the incident occurred.

Lance Corporal Michael Taylor was 30 years old and lived in Rhyl with his partner Sonia and their three children; Ethan, Wesley and Charlton. A former British Army soldier, he joined the Royal Marines on the 26 April 2004. After passing for duty as a Royal Marines Commando he joined 45 Commando, based in Arbroath, Scotland.

[Grace]

June 2010 - the deadliest month of the war in Afghanistan - with 6 days still to come.


June deadliest month for NATO troops since Afghan war began

By Ernesto Londoño
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 24, 2010; 10:17 AM

KABUL -- Four British troops were killed in a vehicle accident Wednesday in southern Afghanistan, making June the deadliest month for the U.S.-led NATO force since it began deploying in Afghanistan in 2002.

At least 79 NATO troops have died in Afghanistan so far this month, surpassing the previous record reached last August, when 76 troops were killed, according to a tally by icasualties.org. At least 46 of the service members killed this month were American.

Last October was the deadliest month for U.S. troops, with 59 casualties.

Thursday's grim milestone was reached on the day the top U.S. general in Afghanistan was relieved of command as a result of a magazine profile that portrayed him and his aides as dismissive of senior Obama administration officials.

President Obama on Wednesday nominated Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the U.S. Central Command, to replace ousted Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.

In addition to the British soldiers killed in the vehicle accident Wednesday -- the British Defense Ministry said the four were members of a police training team in Helmand Province-- six other NATO troops were killed in bombings and a shooting earlier in the day. They included one American, two Romanians, one Briton and two service members whose nationalities were not immediately disclosed.

The spike in casualties comes as the U.S. military is deploying an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. The U.S.-led coalition has met stiff resistance in the Taliban strongholds that it is trying to secure.

link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/24/AR2010062401446.html?hpid=topnews)

[Grace]

22 June 2010



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

1st Sgt. Eddie Turner, 41, of Fort Belvoir, Va., died June 22 at Camp Clark, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

21 June 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died June 21 at Lar Sholtan Village, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when a suicide bomber attacked their unit. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Killed were:

Pfc. David T. Miller, 19, of Wilton, N.Y.

Spc. Andrew R. Looney, 22, of Owasso, Okla.

[Grace]

22 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Claudio Patino IV, 22, of Yorba Linda, Calif., died June 22 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

[Grace]

Australia



Pvt. Scott Travis Palmer

From: Australia
Age: 27
Unit: 2nd Commando Regiment
Died: June 21, 2010

One of three Australian soldiers killed when their helicopter crashed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan

[Grace]

Australia


Pvt. Benjamin Adam Chuck

From: Atherton, Queensland
Age: 27
Unit: 2nd Commando Regiment
Died: June 21, 2010

One of three Australian soldiers killed when their helicopter crashed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Australia


Pvt. Timothy James Aplin

From: Australia
Age: 38
Unit: 2nd Commando Regiment
Died: June 21, 2010

One of three Australian soldiers killed when their helicopter crashed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

England


Marine Richard Hollington

From: Petersfield, Hampshire
Age: 23
Unit: Company B, 40 Commando, Royal Marines
Died: June 20, 2010

Died on June 20, 2010, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb detonated during a patrol south of Patrol Base Ezeray in Sangin district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 12, 2010

[Grace]

England


Sgt. Steven William Darbyshire

From: Wigan, England
Age: 35
Unit: Company A, 40 Commando, Royal Marines
Died: June 23, 2010

Killed by small arms fire during a firefight with insurgent forces during a security patrol in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

22 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Kevin A. Cueto, 23, of San Jose, Calif., died June 22 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, IMarine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

[Grace]

22 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Joshua R. Dumaw, 23, of Spokane Valley, Wash., died June 22 while supporting combat operations in Nimruz province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.

[Grace]

Canada



OTTAWA — One Canadian soldier was killed after an improvised explosive device detonated during a foot patrol, about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City, in the Panjwa’i District, at approximately 8:00 a.m. Kandahar time on 21 June 2010.

Killed in action was Sergeant James Patrick MacNeil from 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ontario. Sergeant MacNeil was serving with 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.

[Grace]

23 June 2010



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

Pfc. Anthony T. Justesen, 22, of Wilsonville, Ore., died June 23 at Ganjkin village, Pusht Rod district, Farah province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to Troop B, 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

23 June 2010



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

Pfc. Russell E. Madden, 29, of Dayton, Ky., died June 23 at Charkh district, Konar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with rocket fire. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Conn Barracks, Germany.

[Grace]

Romania


Cpl. Paul Caracudu

From: Romania
Age: 36
Unit: Batalionul 33 Manevru (33rd Maneuver Battalion)
Died: June 23, 2010

One of two Romanian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during a combat mission on Highway A1 about 18.6 miles (30 km) outside Qalat in Zabul province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Romania


Sgt. Maj. Dan Ciobotaru

From: Romania
Age: 28
Unit: Batalionul 33 Manevru (33rd Maneuver Battalion)
Died: June 23, 2010

One of two Romanian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during a combat mission on Highway A1 about 18.6 miles (30 km) outside Qalat in Zabul province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

7 June 2010



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

1st Sgt. Robert N. Barton, 35, of Roxie, Miss., died June 7 in Konar, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

England


Pvt. Alex Isaac, 20, Wirral, England - Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment

Lance Cpl. David Ramsden, 26, Leeds England - 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, attached to the 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment

Pvt. Douglas Halliday, 20, Wallasey, Merseyside, England - Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment

Colour Sgt. Martyn Horton, 34, Runcorn, England - Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment


Four British soldiers killed when their vehicle overturned into the Nahr-e-Bughra Canal while responding to an attack on a police checkpoint near Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010

[Grace]

From the NY Times; the latest column by Bob Herbert. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/opinion/26herbert.html)



We’re like a compulsive gambler plunging ever more deeply into debt in order to wager on a rigged game. There is no victory to be had in Afghanistan, only grief. . . . . . . . The difference between this and a nightmare is that when you wake up from a nightmare it’s over. This is all too tragically real.

[Grace]

England



It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Bombardier Stephen Raymond Gilbert, 36, from 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, died from wounds sustained in Afghanistan in hospital in Birmingham on Saturday 26 June 2010.

Bombardier Gilbert died as a result of injuries sustained during an explosion in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on the afternoon of Thursday 10 June 2010.

[Grace]

24 June 2010



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

Staff Sgt. Edwardo Loredo, 34, of Houston, Texas, died June 24 at Jelewar, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

[Grace]

26 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Joseph D. Caskey, 24, of Pittsburgh, Pa., died June 26 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

[Grace]

25 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died June 25 at Konar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked their unit using rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Killed were:

Spc. Blair D. Thompson, 19, of Rome, N.Y.

Spc. Jared C. Plunk, 27, of Stillwater, Okla.

[Grace]

25 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl. Daane A. Deboer, 24, of Ludington, Mich., died June 25 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

[Grace]

26 June 2010


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. William T. Richards, 20, of Trenton, Ga., died June 26 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C

[Grace]

24 June 2010



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

Pfc. Robert K. L. Repkie, 20, of Knoxville, Tenn., died June 24 at Forward Operating Base Farah, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation.

[Grace]

Canada



Pvt. Andrew Miller

From: Sudbury, Ontario
Age: 21
Unit: 2 Field Ambulance, assigned to Task Force Kandahar Health Services Unit
Died: June 26, 2010

One of two Canadian soldiers killed when their armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in the Panjwaii district, about 12.4 miles (20 km) southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Canada



Master Cpl. Kristal Giesebrecht

From: Chatham, Canada
Age: 34
Unit: 1 Canadian Field Hospital, assigned to Task Force Kandahar Health Services Unit
Died: June 26, 2010

One of two Canadian soldiers killed when their armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in the Panjwaii district, about 12.4 miles (20 km) southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Poland


Cpl. Pawel Stypula

From: Kazuniu, poland
Age: 26
Unit: 2 Mazowieckiej Brygadzie Saperów (2nd Mazowiecka Sapper Brigade)
Died: June 26, 2010

Killed when the roadside bomb he was attempting to defuse detonated in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Norway


2nd Lt. Christian Lian, 31, Kristiansand, Norway.
Kystjegerkommandoen (Coastal Ranger Command)


1st Lt. Simen Tokle, 24, Ballangen, Norway.
Kystjegerkommandoen (Coastal Ranger Command)

Lt. Cmdr. Trond Bolle, 42, Vestby, Norway.
Marinejegerkommandoen (Naval Ranger Command)

Sgt. Andreas Eldjarn, 21, Tromsø, Norway
Kystjegerkommandoen (Coastal Ranger Command)

Four Norwegian naval commandos killed when their Iveco armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb while traveling to meeting with the civilian leaders of al-Mar, an Afghan village 18.6 miles (30 km) west of Meymaneh, in Faryab province, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2010

[Grace]

Great Britain



Cpl. Jamie Kirkpatrick
From: Llanelli, Wales
Age: 32
Unit: 1 Troop, 21 Field Squadron, 101 Engineer Regiment, attached to the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group, Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force
Died: June 27, 2010

Shot and killed when his team came under small-arms fire while extracting from a compound to move back to Check Point Kingshill in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Afghanistan

Fatalities By Country


Australia 16
Belgium 1
Canada 150
Czech 3
Denmark 33
Estonia 7
Finland 1
France 44
Germany 42
Hungary 2
Italy 24
Jordan 1
Latvia 3
Lithuania 1
NATO 4
Netherlands 24
Norway 9
Poland 19
Portugal 2
Romania 15
South Korea 1
Spain 28
Sweden 4
Turkey 2
UK 309
US 1143

Total 1888

[Grace]

Iraq

Fatalities By Country

Australia 2
Azerbaijan 1
Bulgaria 13
Czech Republic 1
Denmark 7
El Salvador 5
Estonia 2
Fiji 1
Georgia 5
Hungary 1
Italy 33
Kazakhstan 1
Latvia 3
Netherlands 2
Poland 23
Romania 3
Slovakia 4
South Korea 1
Spain 11
Thailand 2
Ukraine 18
United Kingdom 179
United States 4408

Total 4726

[Grace]

Korean War



Sailor Missing From Korean War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Navy Ensign Robert W. Langwell, of Columbus, Ind., will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on July 12. On Oct. 1, 1950, Langwell was serving on the minesweeper USS Magpie when it sank after striking an enemy mine off the coast of Chuksan-ri, South Korea. Twelve crewmen were rescued, but Langwell was one of 20 men lost at sea.

In June 2008, personnel from the Republic of South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) canvassed towns in South Korea in an effort to gather information regarding South Korean soldiers unaccounted-for from the Korean War. An elderly fisherman, interviewed in the village of Chuksan-ri, reported that he and other villagers had buried an American serviceman in 1950 when his body was caught in the man’s fishing net.

The MAKRI located the burial site on April 28, 2009, where they excavated human remains and military artifacts. The burial site was approximately three miles west of where the USS Magpie sank in 1950. The team turned the remains and artifacts over to U.S. Forces Korea, which sent them to Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command for analysis.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, JPAC scientists used dental comparisons in the identification of Langwell’s remains.

With Langwell’s accounting, 8,025 service members still remain missing from the Korean War.

[Grace]

27 June 2010



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

Sgt. John M. Rogers, 26, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died June 27 at Forward Operating Base Blessing, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

[Grace]

26 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Bryant J. Haynes, 21, of Epps, La., died June 26 in Al Diwaniyah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 199th Support Battalion, Louisiana Army National Guard, Alexandria, La.

[Grace]

26 June 2010



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

Spc. David A. Holmes, 34, of Tennille, Ga., died June 26 at Sayed Abad, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 810th Engineer Company, Swainsboro, Ga.

[Grace]

It was one year ago tonight when I started this topic. 75 pages, 744 posts later, we are no closer to the end of war.

Why do we think we can accomplish what many have tried before? Alexander the Great, the British and Russians - they could not win in Afghanistan.

So we keep sending our young men and women (and some not so young) to that God-forsaken country. For what - to come home in a flag-draped box?

We should be ashamed of ourselves.

[cassiesmom]

Sailor Missing From Korean War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Navy Ensign Robert W. Langwell, of Columbus, Ind., will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on July 12. On Oct. 1, 1950, Langwell was serving on the minesweeper USS Magpie when it sank after striking an enemy mine off the coast of Chuksan-ri, South Korea. Twelve crewmen were rescued, but Langwell was one of 20 men lost at sea.

In June 2008, personnel from the Republic of South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) canvassed towns in South Korea in an effort to gather information regarding South Korean soldiers unaccounted-for from the Korean War. An elderly fisherman, interviewed in the village of Chuksan-ri, reported that he and other villagers had buried an American serviceman in 1950 when his body was caught in the man’s fishing net.

The MAKRI located the burial site on April 28, 2009, where they excavated human remains and military artifacts. The burial site was approximately three miles west of where the USS Magpie sank in 1950. The team turned the remains and artifacts over to U.S. Forces Korea, which sent them to Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command for analysis.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, JPAC scientists used dental comparisons in the identification of Langwell’s remains.

With Langwell’s accounting, 8,025 service members still remain missing from the Korean War.

Wow, over eight thousand people. That is very sad. How kind of the elderly man to share where this soldier was buried for so many years.

My dad was in the infantry in Korea. We watched the Memorial Day concert with Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna on PBS and he was very teary through most of it. The only person he has talked at length with about what happened there (besides my mom) is my nephew. Whatever happened there made a big impression on him.

P.S., Grace, re: post #744, I agree with you one thousand percent.

[Grace]

27 June 2010



The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died June 27 in Konar, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with small arms fire. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Eric B. Shaw, 31, of Exeter, Maine; and

Spc. David W. Thomas, 40, of St. Petersburg, Fla.

[Bonny]

It is not US that should be ashamed but the stupid idiots that promised to end this war our so called President & Congress! We are the ones that are sending our family members over there. It must be the RICH MANS GREED in this country the USA for oil, minerals, & whatever Afghanistan has of value to be taken using our family members to get it. :mad: Thank you Grace for posting the casualties it is a big eye opener & sad so sad. :(

[Grace]

It is not US that should be ashamed but the stupid idiots that promised to end this war our so called President & Congress! We are the ones that are sending our family members over there. It must be the RICH MANS GREED in this country the USA for oil, minerals, & whatever Afghanistan has of value to be taken using our family members to get it. :mad: Thank you Grace for posting the casualties it is a big eye opener & sad so sad. :(

Bonny - I did mean we as in the USA - the entire country, including those in Washington, not just the general population.

But we, the general population, do share blame. Where did all the war protesters go? They were all over the place during Vietnam - even drove President Johnson out of office.

Are we so complacent about life right now? Because there is no draft, we don't necessarily have to worry that our son, daughter, grandson, etc might have to go to war.

I'm so angry with those in power. We elected those who said they would end the war - yeah, right :(

[phesina]

Grace, thank you so much for keeping this memorial going. I look at it every day and get saddened again.

[Killearn Kitties]

Why do we think we can accomplish what many have tried before? Alexander the Great, the British and Russians - they could not win in Afghanistan.


I'm with you, Grace. I don't know why we are there again either.