In Memoriam

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19 October 2011

US Navy Chief Petty Officer Raymond J. Border, died on 19th October 2011 during a mission to assess a route in Paktika province. He was serving with a provincial reconstruction team.

31-year-old CPO Border, from Ohio, was based in Gulfport, Mississippi with Navy Mobile Construction Battalion 74.

Article from local paper

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World War II

Aircrew Missing in Action from WWII Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of 10 servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Robert R. Bishop of Joliet, Ill.;
2nd Lt. Thomas Digman, Jr. of Pittsburgh;
2nd Lt. Donald W. Hess of Sioux City, Iowa;
2nd Lt. Arthur W. Luce, of Fort Bragg, Calif.
Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Karaso, of Philadelphia;
Staff Sgt. Ralph L. McDonald of East Point, Ga.;
Sgt. John P. Bonnassiolle of Oakland, Calif.;
Sgt. James T. Blong of Port Washington, Wis.;
Sgt. Michael A. Chiodo of Cleveland;
and Sgt. John J. Harringer, Jr. of South Bend, Ind.,
will be buried as a group, in a single casket representing the entire crew, on Oct. 26, in Arlington National Cemetery. Hess and Karaso will be interred individually in Arlington National Cemetery.

On April 29, 1944, the 10 airmen were ordered to carry out a bombing mission over Berlin, Germany, in their B-24J Liberator aircraft, piloted by Bishop and Luce. German documents captured after the war noted that the aircraft crashed near the town of East Meitze, Germany, and there were no survivors. German forces buried the remains of Digman, Blong, and one unknown airman in a cemetery near Hannover, Germany, around the time of the crash. In 1946, the Army Graves Registration Service exhumed the remains of the three individuals for identification and reburied them in a U.S. Military Cemetery in Condroz, Belgium.

In 2003, a German national located the site of the crash and recovered human remains, which were turned over to U.S. officials. In 2005, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team excavated the crash site and gathered additional human remains, military equipment, and metal identification tags for Bishop, Blong, Bonnassiolle, and Harringer. The team also recovered a class ring with the initials AWL -- presumably belonging to Luce. In 2007, a JPAC team completed the site excavation and found additional evidence that helped to confirm the identity of the crew.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used dental analysis and mitochondrial DNA -- which matched that of some of the crewmembers’ families -- in the identification of their remains.

At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 73,000 remain unaccounted-for from the conflict.

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22 October 2011

An insurgent bomb claimed the life of US Army officer, 1st Lieutenant Ashley I. White, from Ohio, along with two other soldiers on 22nd October 2011 in Kandahar province.

1Lt. White, age 24, served with the North Carolina National Guard, assigned to 230th Brigade Support Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. According to various news sources, she was part of an elite Cultural Support Team of female soldiers working alongside Special Operations forces.

A press release from Army Special Operations Command said 1Lt. White "selflessly served and her actions exemplify the highest commitment to duty, honor and country."

She leaves her husband Captain Jason Stumpf, her parents, Robert and Deborah White, brother Josh and twin sister Brittney.

The other soldiers killed were Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer Domeij and Pfc.Christopher A. Horns, both serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment.

[Grace]

22 October 2011

An insurgent bomb claimed the life of US Army Private 1st Class Christopher A. Horns, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, along with two other soldiers on 22nd October 2011 in Kandahar province. Pfc. Horns was serving with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

20-year-old Pfc. Horns joined the Army in July 2010 and was assigned as a rifleman to the 75th Ranger Regiment in March this year. This was his first deployment to Afghanistan.

Lt. Col. David Hodne, commander of the 2nd Battalion, paid this tribute to Pfc. Horns: "Courageous and disciplined, he lost his life while pressing the assault in an area known for insurgent activity. He earned the universal respect of seniors and peers alike. We will honor his service and remember his sacrifice."

Pfc. Horns leaves his parents Larry and Tamara Horns, and his sister Tiffany.

The other soldiers killed were 1st Lieutenant Ashley White and Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer Domeij.

[Grace]

22 October 2011

An insurgent bomb claimed the life of US Army Sergeant 1st Class Kristoffer B. Domeij, age 29, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, along with two other soldiers on 22nd October 2011 in Kandahar province. Sgt. Domeij was serving with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

He joined the Army in July 2001 after graduating from Rancho Bernardo High School, and joined the 75th Ranger Regiment in 2002, where he served as a forward observer. This was his 14th combat deployment.

Sgt. Domeij was described as "a Ranger you wanted at your side when the chips were down" by 2nd battalion commander Lt. Col. David Hodne, who went on to say: "He was one of those men who was known by all as much for his humor, enthusiasm, and loyal friendship as he was for his unparalleled skill and bravery under fire."

Sgt. Domeij leaves his wife Sarah, daughters Mikajsa and Aaliyah, his mother Scoti and brother Kyle.

The other soldiers killed were 1st Lieutenant Ashley White and Pfc. Christopher Horns.

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14 October 2011

US Army Sgt. Cody L. Bryan, age 22, of Kettering, Ohio, died on October 14, 2011, from complications after surgery for an injury he sustained while in Iraq on his second tour. He was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment.

Obituary and picture from hometown

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From ABC News - article about Kristoffer B. Domeij (post #1715)

14 deployments!!