Casualities - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

Re: Spc Brandon S. Tobler, Portland, OR, March 22, 2003

toblerorg — 2011-04-01 01:59:35Z

I was injured in Iraq the same day Brandon was killed. I too am from Portland, Ore. There was alot of confusion with our families about who was killed and who was injured. I went to Brandon's house and consuled his mother and father apon my return to the states.

Airman 1st Class Corey C. Owens of San Antonio, Texas, died Feb. 17, 2011

RIP2011 — 2011-02-23 01:09:51Z

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 136-11
February 18, 2011
DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation New Dawn.

Airman 1st Class Corey C. Owens, 26, of San Antonio, Texas, died Feb. 17 due to a non-combat related incident at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. He was assigned to the 47th Security Forces Squadron, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.

For more information media may contact the Laughlin Air Force Base public affairs office at 830-298-5044.

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14277

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Not related. Posted for genealogical purposes only. I have nothing more to add. If you have something to add or have a question please post it to this thread.

It is the hope of this project that family members will come along and add genealogical information including the ancestors of this person.

Sgt. 1st Class Calvin B. Harrison of San Antonio, Texas, died Sept. 29, 2010

RIP_10 — 2010-10-04 23:01:43Z

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 901-10
October 01, 2010
DOD Identifies Army Casualty

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

                Sgt. 1st Class Calvin B. Harrison, 31, of San Antonio, Texas, died Sept. 29 in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Fort Bragg, N.C.

                For more information, the media may contact the Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005 or www.soc.mil .

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13941

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Not related. Posted for genealogical purposes only.

Sgt. Anthony O. Magee of Hattiesburg, Miss., USA died in Iraq April 27, 2010

RIP_10 — 2010-05-11 13:41:35Z

On the Web:
http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=13500

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 356-10
May 03, 2010
DOD Identifies Army Casualty

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.

For more information the media may contact the Fort Benning public affairs office at 706-545-6674.

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Not related to this person posted for genealogical information only.

Re: 1st Sgt Joe James Garza, Robstown, TX, April 28, 2003

MyraGarzaCooler — 2010-03-09 04:52:10Z

Hi, this is my father, and his middle name was Jesus, not james.

Staff Sgt. William Travis Latham

bglatham125 — 2010-02-20 16:38:59Z

SSgt.Latham Died 18 June 2003 from wounds received in Iraq

He was assigned to the 3rd ACR out of Colo.Springs Fort Carson.

Pvt. Ronald R. Harrison of Morris Plains, N.J., died April 22, 2008

RIP_08 — 2008-04-28 23:19:43Z

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 337-08
April 23, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

Pvt. Ronald R. Harrison, 25, of Morris Plains, N.J., died April 22 at Forward Operating Base Falcon near Baghdad, Iraq, of a non-combat related injury. He was assigned to the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

The incident is under investigation.

For more information media may contact the Fort Stewart public affairs office at (912) 767-2479.

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=1...

Gunner Duncan Geoffrey Pritchard, England, UK, May 8, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:27:11Z

Rank. Gunner.
Age. 22.
Unit. 16 Squadron, Royal Air Force.
Hometown. Suffolk, England.

Duncan Pritchard, based at RAF Honington, in Suffolk, died of his wounds on May 8, 2003 in a British hospital from injuries sustained in a traffic accident while on duty in Southern Iraq.

Pfc Marlin T. Rockhold, Hamilton, OH, May 8, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:26:04Z

CBSNEWS.COM - Army Pfc. Marlin Rockhold's family hadn't been worried about him in recent weeks because they believed the end of the war meant more safety for the troops in Iraq.

"We had just received a letter from him the same day we got the news of his death, and he was so excited about coming home soon," said his uncle, Kevin Henderson of Hamilton, Ohio.

Rockhold, 23, who was based at Fort Stewart, was killed May 8 by a sniper attack in Baghdad. He is survived by his wife, DaVonna, and was the stepfather of her 8-year-old child.

Henderson, 34, said his nephew was like a little brother. They were raised together by Eileen Henderson, who is Henderson's mother and Rockhold's grandmother.

"Marlin was kind of quiet and shy, but he loved to joke around when he was with someone he knew well," Henderson said. "We are all so very proud of him."

Henderson said his nephew was neutral on the question of whether the United States should have gone to war in Iraq.

"He said it was his job to go, and that he would do his duty."

Pvt Andrew Joseph Kelley, Tavistock, England, UK, May 6, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:24:39Z

Operation Telic - It is with very deep regret that the Ministry of Defence has to confirm that Private Andrew Joseph Kelly died on 6 May in an accident whilst serving in Iraq. Aged 18, he was serving with 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.

His mother, Mrs Helen Yallop, has asked for the following statement to be issued:

"Andrew's loss is deeply felt by all the family. We are devastated. He was a wonderful, fearless and confident son, always well-mannered, and who, even as a young boy, desired only to be a Para. He turned 18 on 9 March this year, and within days was on his way to the Gulf.

"Even at school in Tavistock, he was single-minded about an Army career, knowing it would fulfil his ambitions for travel and sport. He loved swimming, roller-blading and skiing, and had enjoyed many family trips abroad. In his last call to me just days ago, he said, 'Don't worry about me mum; Paras always go to heaven.'

"He will be missed sorely, too, by his two dogs - especially Roxy, a Staffordshire terrier who senses a terrible tragedy has befallen us all. Andrew remains alive in our thoughts and memories; it will always be so."

Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lowe, the Commanding Officer of 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, said:

"The loss of Private Andy Kelly is especially tragic. He was a young man full of energy and life with a long career in The Parachute Regiment ahead of him. Andy had recently joined the 3rd Battalion, having come from the Infantry Training Centre where he had completed basic training and proved himself to be fit, mentally agile, professional, and highly determined.

"It had always been Andy's ambition to be a Parachute Regiment soldier and he was welcomed from the moment he arrived. He had just started to make new friends and settle down into post-war operations. Andy was quiet but confident and likeable. He was very polite and carried out his job in the professional manner expected from a member of the British Army on operations.

"The Battalion will hold a private memorial service in Iraq. Our thoughts are with his family and friends, who have asked for privacy at this exceptionally difficult time."

Pvt Jason L. Deibler, Coeburn, VA, May 4, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:23:13Z

Coeburn, Va. -- Pvt. Jason L. Deibler, 20, of Coeburn, Va., joined the Army in October after completing a clerical occupational program at the Flatwoods Job Corps Center, a vocational training center in southwest Virginia. He was studying to go into computers.

"He was likable, a very personable young man," said Sheila Pinkston, counselor at the center. "A lot of us remember him."

Deibler was killed May 4, 2003, at Camp New Jersey in Kuwait in an accidental shooting.

"He was so proud to be in the Army," his father, Kevin Deibler, said. "We heard from him when he was in Germany, and he was more happy than he had ever been in his life. The one saving grace is that it happened when he was at the happiest point in his life."

Sgt Sean C. Reynolds, East Lansing, MI, May 3, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:21:50Z

CBSNEWS.COM - To Army Sgt. Sean Reynolds, serving as an Army Ranger was a way to help people in need. Although his family was adamantly anti-war when he enlisted right after high school, they understood what drove him.

"He wanted to fight for people's justices - no matter who they were," said his older brother, Kevin. "He said, `You may not agree with me politically, but give me a chance."'

Reynolds, 25, of East Lansing, Mich., and based in Italy, died May 3 in a weapon accident in Iraq.

"He was a good man," said his sister Kathleen, 19. "We are very proud of what he was doing. He believed in protecting our country."

Staff Sgt. Chad Everett, who served with Reynolds for nearly six years, called the soldier one of the best friends he will ever have.

"He gave his all for the Rangers, was very motivated and disciplined - and cared a lot about his soldiers and his job."

Pfc Jesse A. Givens, Springfield, MO, May 1, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:20:44Z

Gazette.com - By JEREMY MEYER THE GAZETTE
The last thing Pfc. Jesse A. Givens wanted was to leave his pregnant wife, 5-year-old stepson and their Colorado Springs home.

But duty called.

A dictator needed to be overthrown, and Givens told his family there wasn?t a chance in the world he would let the three other soldiers in his tank go into a war without him.

Givens on Thursday became Fort Carson?s first fatality when his tank fell into the Euphrates River, and he drowned.

Givens, 34, of Heavy Company, 2 nd Squadron, 3 rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, was driving the Abrams M1A2 tank toward four fires that Iraqis set in Habbaniyah, a city west of Baghdad, said Lt. Col. Tobin Green, commander of the 2 nd Squadron.

Soldiers sometimes can put out fires when they drive over them with a tank, Green said. The riverbank apparently gave way, according to a Department of Defense statement.

Efforts to resuscitate Givens failed, The Associated Press reported. Three crew members escaped from the tank, Green said.

Givens had been in the military for more than a year, pursuing a lifelong dream of becoming a soldier. He?d spent most of his adult life working as an asset protection manager for Sears and ShopKo in Missouri.

Givens enlisted in the Army in January 2002 after the ShopKo where he was working closed and its 83 employees were laid off.

At basic training, younger soldiers teased Givens good-naturedly, calling him "Grandpa" or "pops."

But Givens, a former high school wrestler and football player, did well in the rigorous training, said his older brother, Reg Givens of Lamar, Mo.

"He was surprised at his age that he could complete basic and do it without injuring himself or embarrassing himself," Reg Givens said.

When he finished basic training in April 2002, Givens married his longtime girlfriend, Melissa, whom he had met at ShopKo.

She had a son from a different relationship, and Givens and the boy, Dakota, had grown close.

"He absolutely adored that child," said Connie Givens of Springfield, Mo., Jesse?s mother.

He was assigned to Fort Carson, and the family moved to Colorado Springs a year ago.

Givens wanted to be a tank commander and was working through promotions to get that spot. He wanted to apply to officer candidate school eventually.

His military career was going well, and his wife became pregnant with a due date of June 6.

Then word came that Givens? regiment would be shipped overseas to join the war in Iraq.

Givens didn?t want to go, his mother said.

"But he said it was something that needed to be done," she said. "He said he had a job to do and wanted to get it done as quick as possible so he could get back to his wife and kids. I told him, ?That?s exactly what he needed to do. Just keep his head straight and come back."

He certainly wasn?t against the war, his brother said.

"He just didn?t want to take the risk, except that he knew it had to be done," Reg Givens said. "My dad even made a joke, saying, ?we?ll hide you so you won?t have to go.? But he said, there?s not a chance in hell that he wouldn?t go without those three guys in that tank. He said it was the best tank company, and he was proud to be the driver."

Reg Givens, 18 months older than his sibling, said his brother will be sorely missed.

"He was a great man, kind of the hero type, always helping the underdog. He didn?t care for people picking on people. He had a good heart. It?s a very big loss. I can?t tell you how proud I am of him."

Lance Cpl James McCue, Paisley, England, UK, April 30, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:19:34Z

Operation Telic - It is with very deep regret that the Ministry of Defence has to confirm the death of Lance Corporal James McCue of 7 Air Assault Battalion, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. He died on 30 April 2003 following an explosion in southern Iraq. Aged 27, he came from Paisley, and was single.

Lance Corporal McCue joined the Army in April 1999 and completed his trade training at the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at Bordon in Hampshire. He also passed the Class 3 Physical Training Instructor course in 2001. He served in both Germany and Kosovo with 32 Royal Engineer Regiment Workshop (REME) until August 2002, when he transferred to 7 Air Assault Battalion REME, stationed at Colchester Garrison.

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Armstrong, the Commanding Officer of 7 Air Assault Battalion REME, said:

"Lance Corporal Jim McCue joined 8 Close Support Company, 7 Air Assault Battalion in August 2002, where he served as a vehicle mechanic within Forward Platoon. Despite the relatively short time that he had been with the Battalion, he had made a lasting impression on all of his colleagues.

"He had shown himself throughout to be highly competent both as a soldier and as a REME tradesman and he expected everyone to achieve the same high standards that he set for himself. He maintained the highest levels of physical fitness and, as a qualified Unit Physical Fitness Instructor, many within the unit have benefited from time spent under his instruction.

"He had many interests though his main hobbies were running and rugby; he had considerable ability and had represented Scotland as a junior sprinter. He was a popular soldier who forged a large number of friendships within the unit and enjoyed a lively social life as a result.

"Lance Corporal McCue was a strong character who displayed a great sense of pride in everything he did, qualities that gained him the respect and admiration from all members of the unit. He was a credit to his Corps and will be sadly missed by all."

His mother, Mrs Mary McCue, has asked for the following statement to be issued:

"The family and all of Jamesy's friends were shocked and saddened to hear of his death during active service in Iraq. He was a wonderful son, and those that knew him will remember his maturity and lively sense of humour.

"He talked often about how much he loved serving with the REME Air Assault Battalion, and was extremely proud when he was promoted to Lance Corporal, which was only at the beginning of this year.

"At this time words cannot express the depth of our grief, but mixed with our profound sadness there is pride in the knowledge that he died a soldier while serving his country. He will be remembered by all that knew him forever."

1st Sgt Joe James Garza, Robstown, TX, April 28, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:18:24Z

Joe J. Garza
Wednesday, May 28 2003 @ 04:16 PM EDT
Contributed by: tomw
Views: 796
CBSNEWS.com - Army 1st Sgt. Joe J. Garza joined the Army a few years after high school graduation, and served more than two decades. He figured he'd serve even longer.

"He told me he was going to stay in for as long as the Army would let him," said nephew Sev Lopez. "He loved what he did."

Garza, 43, of Columbus, Ga., and based at Fort Benning, died April 28 in a vehicle accident in Iraq.

Lopez said that after he joined the National Guard he met several people who had Garza as a drill instructor during basic training. They told Lopez his uncle had been tough but fair.

"But I just couldn't picture him that way . . . as a mean drill instructor in someone's face," Lopez said.

"Of all 10 of us he was the one who would try and make you laugh," said Garza's sister, Manuela Espinoza. "He was the clown of the family."

Garza is survived by his wife of 24 years, Mary, sons Joe Garza Jr. and John, and daughter Myra.

1st Lt Osbaldo Orozco, Delano, CA, April 25, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:17:20Z

22ndinfantry.org - (04-28) 00:13 PDT BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) -- She had thought her husband, 1st Lt. Osbaldo Orozco, was safe since the fierce fighting had subsided. Then the Army chaplain delivered the news to Mayra Mendez Orozco that her husband of two years died in the war with Iraq. The chaplain went to her parents' home in Delano late Saturday afternoon to inform her that Orozco died when the Bradley fighting vehicle he was riding in rolled over, family members said.

The Bakersfield Californian reported in Monday's newspaper that Orozco, who was deployed with the 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas, was rushing to help out at a checkpoint under fire in Tikrit, Iraq, when his vehicle rolled over. His Bradley was one of two that flipped over as they maneuvered into position to return fire. A soldier friend of Orozco's also was injured.
"That's all we know right now," Mayra Orozco told the Californian. "We'll know more when the casualty specialty teams get here." The Department of Defense as of late Sunday night had not released Orozco's name as being among the war dead, but his family has been notified.
Mayra Orozco, 26, spoke with pride of her husband and his love for her, his parents, his country and his cat, "Estrellita," which is Spanish for "little star." "He loved that cat so much," his wife said. "He found her at (an animal shelter) and bought her a bow and a little bell to wear."
Her 26-year-old husband was a star linebacker at Delano High School and later played football at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he attended on a full football scholarship. He was a captain for the Mustangs in 1999 and was named the team's Most Inspirational Player. He enrolled in Cal Poly's ROTC program and was commissioned as an Army officer on June 16, 2001, the same day that he graduated from Cal Poly with a bachelor's degree in social science. He was the second of five sons of Mexican immigrants and the first in his family to graduate from college.
"After the Army, he thought he would go into the FBI or the CIA," Mayra Orozco said. "He had a real leadership quality." Her husband, an Earlimart native, believed in the cause that he fought and died for, she said. "He thought we needed to stop terrorism and (Saddam) Hussein and what he was doing to his people," she said.
The only thing that frightened him was that he would miss the war and not be able to serve as platoon leader and Bradley commander. "He commanded four Bradleys and he loved it," she said. "His men adored him and respected him. He was ready to go and do his job. They all were."

Spc Narson B. Sullivan, North Brunswick, NJ, April 25, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:16:12Z

NORTH BRUNSWICK' Residents showered a local family's home in yellow carnations honoring a lost soldier.

A congregation of about 50 residents walked nearly half a mile from Babbage Park to the walkway of what was once Spc. Narson B. Sullivan's front door with flowers during a memorial service on Saturday afternoon.

"The placing of the yellow carnations is a sign of peace, respect and unity from our community to the family," Department of Parks and Recreation Director Lou Ann Benson said.

Sullivan, 21, died in Iraq when his weapon discharged and struck him in the head during weapons maintenance on April 25, Army officials said.

Sullivan is the first Middlesex County soldier to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"We ask to fill in the gaping hole that now exists in their family with honest and joyful and strong memories of Narson," the Rev. Mark McGraff said. "Fill their family with the love, encouragement and laughter of friends who will also remember Narson the same way."

Friends, residents and public officials, including Mayor David Spaulding, Township Council members and U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12 District) were among those who attended the ceremony.

Benson, who organized the event in cooperation with the mayor's office, said, "Part of the reason we are here is in hope to find comfort in the words we share with each other about Narson."

Many of Sullivan's childhood friends attended the ceremony.

"Narson was the type of person that, if you just knew him for a couple of minutes, you felt like you?ve known him forever," said Sullivan's high school friend Ryan Revetto, 21. "He was always happy and smiling. He would do anything in his power to cheer someone up, even if it meant making a complete fool of himself."

Kasey Smith, 22, said she often sat with Sullivan on the bus on the way to school.

"He would joke around a lot. We shared a lot of good times," Smith said. "Narson was also a stand-up guy. He made sure everyone was treated fairly. When you were around him, you knew you always had somebody there to stick up for you," Smith said.

Nicole Kriqui, 19, a lifelong friend of Sullivan, remembered him as "terrific," "polite" and "a sweetheart with a good heart."

"He is the only person I know that would rollerblade all around town and walk his dog at the same time," Kriqui said.

"He really was the most polite kid I've ever met," Kriqui's mother, Janice, added. "Whenever he would speak to me, it was yes ma'am, no ma'am."

During the ceremony, Superintendent of the Board of Middlesex County Vocational & Technical Schools Joseph Columbo remembered when Sullivan would visit the school after graduation, dressed in his military uniform.

"He visited, proudly wearing his Army uniform and he thought very fully of what that uniform stood for and what it required," Columbo said.

Sullivan graduated from the East Brunswick campus in 2000. While there, he studied the culinary arts and played varsity soccer.

Sullivan entered the Army on August 11, 2000.

At the time of his death, Sullivan was serving in a forward operations area in Iraq while assigned to the 411 Military Police Company out of Fort Hood, Texas, according to military officials.

He was one of 1,000 military police troops and 19,000 other troops to be deployed from the fort, according to spokesperson Cecil Green.

During the ceremony, the U.S. Army color guard and Capt. Matthew Schramm saluted their fallen comrade.

"The Army is a close-knit family. The loss of one affects us all. We are all hurt by his loss as a brother in arms," Schramm said. "Two months ago he bravely moved deep into Iraq and willingly and courageously put his life on the line for freedom and democracy. On behalf of the Army, I extend heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends."

Columbo said, "Narson will be missed, but never forgotten."

In honor of Sullivan, the vocational school held a fund-raising luncheon Tuesday afternoon.

Students from the culinary arts program prepared food for the luncheon, during which the school collected funds to begin a scholarship in honor of Sullivan.

"We are establishing an award in Narson's name," Colombo said. "Every year, one graduating senior who best exemplifies the caring, companionship, respect for authority, politeness, maturity and character that Narson did will receive this scholarship."

The North Brunswick Township High School Student Government presented the vocational school with a $50 check on Tuesday to put toward the Sullivan scholarship, according to Assistant Principal Pete Clark.

"The loss of one child?s life is a family's greatest sorrow," Colombo said. "When it is a life with the quality of Narson's, it is a tragedy for all of us."

Spc Roy Russell Buckley, Portage, IN, April 22, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:12:58Z

The Times Online - His bedroom is a shrine to Uncle Sam and the U.S. Army.

A Declaration of Independence poster hangs over his neatly made bed. An "Army of One" poster is taped next to his door. An American flag serves as his window curtain. White military burial gloves are draped around a crucifix on the wall. His Army certification is posted above the light switch.

This was how U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Roy Russell Buckley left his room when he was deployed to Fort Campbell, Ky., in late January with 160 other local reservists from the 685th Transportation Company.

Buckley, a 1996 Merrillville High School graduate, was killed in a non-combat vehicle accident Wednesday in Baghdad. The family doesn't know exactly how he died. An investigation is under way.

He is the only war fatality from the Hobart reserve unit, but the third from this region in the past month.

"He is just," said older brother Charles Calvin, before quickly catching himself. "He was just 24 years old. That's when life is supposed to start, not end."

On Thursday, at the Portage home Buckley shared with his mother, Janie Espinoza, and stepfather, Phillip Espinoza, his family joined in laughs and tears remembering their "little Bucky," the youngest of five children.

"That's been his nickname since he was a little bitty thing," said Calvin, 28, of Portage.

Buckley was a sports nut growing up in Merrillville. He had an orange belt in karate and could squat incline 950 pounds without breaking a sweat.

About three years ago, he joined the Reserves to help with college, learn a trade, find his way.

Somewhere along the line, the laid off Midwest Steel millworker wrapped his heart around the Army.

"He loved being in the Army," his mother said from her home at Camelot Manor, a mobile home park on the city's south side. "Those white gloves hanging on the wall are from an Army burial he helped with."

Buckley was in line to become a sergeant, waiting for the Army to cross the t's and dot the i's, his family said.

"That's the least they could do now," said his mother, sitting on her son's bed.

Buckley's fiancee, Jenina Bellina, 24, of Chicago, is also a reservist with the Hobart unit. She, too, is serving in Iraq and heard the news before his family did. Buckley proposed to Bellina on Jan. 11.

Espinoza, who found out about her son's death Wednesday afternoon, is asking the Army to arrange for Bellina to escort her son's body back home. She's also asking that Army Reserve Sgt. William Morris, the fiance of Buckley's sister, Catrena Calvin, return home to escort the body, too.

"We don't want strangers escorting Roy home," Espinoza said.

Buckley and Bellina had dreamy plans of eloping to the Bahamas after they returned home, the family said.

"Those dreams are shattered now," said brother Victor Calvin, 33, of Hobart.

'Look down before every step'

Buckley was father to a 6-year-old daughter, Alicia Faith Buckley, who lives in Hobart with her mother.

"He loved that girl more than anything, but he wasn't allowed to see her. It was a shame," Calvin said.

A few weeks ago, Buckley's family mailed a huge care package to him overseas. Amid the dozens of letters and gifts was an updated photo of his daughter.

Buckley's only other photo of her was from a few years ago. It rests on his bedroom nightstand, near a patriotic calendar showing an American flag being folded into a triangle.

Buckley last spoke to his family on Easter Sunday, calling from an Army base. He told them he was hot, hungry, tired and dirty. And he celebrated the day by changing two tires on a military tractor, he joked.

"His voice sounded so calm," his mother said.

Buckley, a huge country music fan, parked his red 1999 Ford F150 pickup truck outside the home with strict orders: "Only mom and dad could drive it." He bought it a month before being deployed.

Before he left, Buckley once hung an American flag across his ceiling, under his light. His mother scolded him, but he pleaded: "Mom, I just want to see it glow," Espinoza said laughing.

Victor Calvin recalled a recent image of his little brother, all 6-foot, 3-inches of him, trying to ride a kid's tiny 50 cc dirt bike -- with training wheels.

"That was the last fun thing he did," Calvin said crying near his brother's bed.

They also remembered Buckley as a curly, blond-haired toddler, a Pentecostal believer who liked to quote Solomon, imitate Bart Simpson and even down a few shots of Jack Daniels on occasion.

"That's Roy all right," smiled brother Charles.

It was Charles who attended the funeral of Greg Sanders "in place of Roy, who would have wanted to be there if he could," Charles said.

In one of the last conversations Buckley had with his mother, he told her about his plans on joining the Army full time for active duty. It's unclear, however, whether his activation papers went through, his family said.

"I just told him to look down before every step. He promised me he would," she said.

Lt Alexander Tweedie, England, UK, April 22, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:11:24Z

Operation Telic - It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence can confirm the death of Lieutenant Alexander Tweedie in an Edinburgh hospital on 22 April. This was following an accident on 1 April in which Lance Corporal Karl Shearer was killed.

Lieutenant Tweedie, who was 25, had served for two and a half years in D Squadron, The Blues & Royals, Household Cavalry Regiment.

His family issued the following statement:

"Alexander's death has shocked and saddened us greatly, and words cannot adequately express the depth of our grief. He was a wonderful, loving son who brightened the lives of everyone who knew him. He was proud to serve with the Household Cavalry, and had a very promising career ahead of him. We are proud of Alexander and will remember him in our hearts forever."

His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mark van der Lande OBE, said:

"It was with great sadness that the Household Cavalry Regiment learnt of the death of Lieutenant Alexander Tweedie of The Blues & Royals. He died 22 April of the injuries he received when his Scimitar armoured vehicle overturned in Iraq on 1 April 2003. Despite the excellent medical care which Alexander received, both in the Gulf and afterwards from the National Health Service, he never recovered from his coma. Alexander was an excellent officer. Popular with all, he matched very positive leadership from the front with a deep care for his men. He led his Troop in battle with skill, determination and great coolness under fire. He will be sorely missed by us all.

"His death, like those of Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull, and Lance Corporal Karl Shearer, is a tragic loss to the Regiment. These losses touch with sadness the great pride that I and the Household Cavalry Regiment feel for the achievements of D Squadron in Iraq. The recent weeks have been particularly difficult for Alexander's parents. Our thoughts and prayers are with them."

Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this very sad time.

Cpl John T. Rivero, Gainesville, FL, April 17, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:10:00Z

CBSNEWS - John T. Rivero told loved ones in a recent letter that he had hurt his ankle while serving in Iraq - but said he didn't mention it to medics because he was afraid of being removed from his assignment.

"He knew he was doing a good thing and he really felt strongly about what he was doing," said Rivero's sister, Terese Strickland, 28, of Gainesville, Fla.

Rivero, 23, a National Guard infantryman from Gainesville, died April 17 in a vehicle accident in Iraq.

"He felt like he was making the world a better place," said his mother, Patti Gardham of Cambridge, Ontario. "He was always happy and smiling. He was the center of our lives."

Rivero was born in at Warner-Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia. He grew up in Gainesville and enlisted in the National Guard in 1998. He studied computer science and engineering at the University of South Florida in Tampa, and spent a semester on the Bulls' cheerleading squad before being deployed in January.

Pfc John E. Brown, Troy, AL, April 14, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:08:40Z

CBSNEWS.com - When Army Pvt. Johnny Brown, 21, of Troy, Ala., last e-mailed his family, it was to comfort them.

"He told us he was doing what he loved and not to worry about him and should anything happen to just know he was doing what he loved," said Jessica Brown-Tatum, Brown's sister.

Brown, a 21-year-old private from Alabama, was killed April 14 in Baghdad while serving with the 101st Army Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell, Ky.

"He was a big teddy bear and would do anything for you," Brown-Tatum said. "He had a heart of gold. He was brave and we're very proud of him."

Brown decided last fall to enlist in the Army after serving in the reserves, his sister said. His last e-mail arrived less than a week before his death.

"He just e-mailed to let us know he was OK and that they were winding down and he hoped to be home soon," she said.

Spc Thomas A. Foley III, Dresden, TN, April 14, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:07:29Z

CBSNEWS.com - Army Spc. Thomas Arthur Foley III, 23, of Dresden, Tenn., wanted to be a teacher but couldn't afford to go to college. So he joined the military, and so did his younger brother, David. The two, born a year apart, were inseparable.

"You didn't see one without the other," said their grandmother, Anetta Courtney.

Foley, based at Fort Campbell, was killed April 14 in an accidental grenade explosion. David Foley, 22, is also serving in Iraq.

Thomas Foley and his wife, Paulette, have a 6-month-old son, relatives said.

Courtney said Foley was "so vivacious" and "always doing something." He loved working with children and riding four-wheelers, said his stepfather, Brian Darden.

"Tommy enjoyed life to fullest. He was a good Christian boy," Darden said.

Cpl Armando Ariel Gonzalez, Hileah, FL, April 14, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:06:17Z

CBSNEWS.com - Marine Cpl. Armando Ariel Gonzalez, 25, of Hialeah, Fla., never forgot his family.

He came to the United States from Cuba in 1995 and learned English at Miami-Dade Community College in Florida, said his father, Julio Orlando Gonzalez.

"I'm very proud of him. He was serious, affectionate and responsible," he said. "He always hung out with his brother and me. Even after he married he always came around. He looked after me, his brother and his wife."

The younger Gonzalez, 25, was a driver assigned to Marine Wing Squadron 273, Marine Wing Support Group 27, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in Iraq.

He was killed April 14 when a commercial refueling truck collapsed as he worked beneath it, said Capt. Don Caetano, spokesman for the Marine Corps Air Station at Beaufort, S.C., where Gonzalez was based.

"This is our first casualty that we've had here at the air station and we're grieving," Caetano said.

Spc Richard A. Goward, Midland, MI, April 14, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:05:01Z

CBSNEWS.com - Army Spc. Richard A. Goward served on active duty with the Army from 1990 to 1996, then joined the Michigan National Guard after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"He told me, `If I can't protect my family, then who can?,"' said Goward's wife, Karen.

Goward, 32, of Midland, Mich., was killed April 14 in Iraq when his truck entered a dust cloud and collided with another truck.

Goward's survivors also include two daughters, ages 8 and 5.

"Ric was a wonderful husband and father," his wife said. "He enjoyed jujitsu (a form of martial arts) and outdoor activities."

Pfc Joseph P. Mayek, Rock Springs, WY, April 14, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:03:47Z

CBSNEWS.com - During his junior year of high school, Army Pfc. Joseph P. Mayek, 20, of Rock Springs, Wyo., made the decision between guns and books.

"He was making the choice between college and the military and he basically came to us one day and said, 'the Army's the answer for me,' and we supported him and stood behind him with his decision," his stepfather, David McFadden said.

Mayek, 20, died April 14 after being struck by an armor-piercing round from an infantry fighting vehicle, according to the Department of Defense. The death is under investigation.

"We're devastated. He was our oldest," McFadden said. "How to get a handle on it, I don't know."

The couple last spoke with Mayek on March 16.

"He called to let us know that his unit was headed into Iraq that next day," said his mother, Margaret McFadden. "He was scared and nervous. And he couldn't stand the sand."

Mayek was assigned to C Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment in Germany. He joined the Army in July after graduating from high school and had been serving with the Army's V Corps.

"He was always a team guy," said Jamie Christensen, who coached Mayek on Rock Springs High School's 2002 championship football team. "He worked hard and he knew his role on the team."

Cpl Jason David Mileo, Centreville, MD, April 14, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:02:31Z

Marine from Eastern Shore killed in Iraq
20-year-old corporal died in friendly fire incident in Baghdad
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Johnathon E. Briggs
Sun Staff
Originally published April 17, 2003, 11:14 PM EDT

A Marine from the Eastern Shore who grew up in Pasadena was shot and killed Monday in Iraq after he was mistaken for an enemy soldier, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.

Cpl. Jason David Mileo, 20, of Centreville was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, based in Twentynine Palms, Calif. He is the third serviceman from Maryland to die in the Iraq war.

"Emergency personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene, but Mileo died on site in the vicinity of Baghdad," according to a Defense Department statement.

Born in Baltimore and raised in Pasadena, Mileo was a 2000 graduate of Chesapeake High School, according to a notice on the Web site of Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home.

While at Chesapeake High, Mileo played on the golf team and was involved with the drama club as a stage crew member, helping build extravagant sets such as the Yellow Brick Road, Munchkinland and Emerald City for a 1999 production of The Wizard of Oz .

An avid hunter, Mileo enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from high school and attended boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina. Mileo's parents recently moved to Centreville in Queen Anne's County. Relatives declined Thursday night to speak about Mileo.

Contacted Thursday night, Chesapeake High Principal Harry Calender described Mileo as a "solid kid."

"He had solid grades and probably missed three days of school in a year," Calender said.

Mileo is survived by his parents, Phillip and Leah Hall; a brother, Zachary Andrew Hall of Pasadena; his maternal grandparents, Margaret and Vincent Mileo Jr. of Glen Burnie; his paternal grandparents, Joyce and Walter J. Hall of Pasadena; and his maternal great-grandmother, Isabelle Redmond Mileo of Westminster.

Mileo is the 126th U.S. military casualty in the Iraq war.

The other two Marylanders who died in the war are Marine Staff Sgt. Kendall D. Waters-Bey of Northeast Baltimore and Army Spc. George A. Mitchell Jr. of Rawlings in Allegany County.
Copyright Â© 2003, The Baltimore Sun

Cmdr Joseph Acevedo, Bronx, NY, April 13, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 22:00:54Z

Rank. Commander.
Age. 46.
Unit. Navy Central Command.
Hometown. Bronx, New York.

Joseph Acevedo died on Sunday, April 13, 2003, of a heart attack while working out in the gym while serving in Bahrain. The Department of Defence has not released the details of his death. The name of this fallen sailor was not made public until December 2004.
At the time of his death he was assigned as the Logistics Requirements Officer for the Commander Logistics Force. Joseph is survived by his wife, Yolanda, and sons, Joseph and Stephan. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on May 6 of that year with full military honours.

Spc Gil Mercada, Paterson, NJ, April 13, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-12 21:59:21Z

CBSNEWS.com - Spc. Gil Mercado, 25, of Paterson, N.J., was killed April 13 by a "non-combat weapon discharge," the Defense Department said, adding that the incident is under investigation.

"His death wasn't caused by hostile fire," said Army spokesman Steve Stover said by telephone from the Pentagon. Stover did not rule out friendly fire.

Mercado was a cook assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment.

Master Sgt. Kelly Tyler, a spokeswoman for the 101st Airborne Division, said Mercado entered the military in March 2000 and had been at Fort Campbell since June 2001.

Tyler said Mercado was married and lived on Fort Campbell.

Mercado studied at a high school in Puerto Rico and lived on the Caribbean island for about five years, his father said.

Mercado was born in New Jersey, but went to live during his high school years with his father, also named Gil Mercado, in the northwestern coastal town of Isabela, 65 miles west of the capital of San Juan.

"He was intelligent," said Mercado, 51, who has three daughters and is separated from his son's mother. "He was a good son."

His father didn't know his son was in Iraq until three military officers arrived at his house Monday to break the news, Mercado said. "The truth is I don't know very much about what happened to my son."

The last time Mercado heard from his son was several months ago when he was in Afghanistan, he said.

Mercado said his son had married a woman from Colombia whom he had met in New Jersey, and they lived at Fort Campbell.

Cpl Jesus A. Gonzalez, Indio, CA, April 12, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:24:03Z

CBSNEWS - Marine Cpl. Jesus Angel "Hugo" Gonzalez, who was opposed to the war in Iraq and killed in combat there, was remembered by family, friends, politicians and dignitaries at a funeral and graveside ceremony.

Though the 22-year-old Gonzalez opposed the war, he went anyway because he was a loyal Marine, his family said. The Mexican national was shot in the chest on April 12 in Baghdad while staffing a checkpoint.

"In eight days, he would've been out," said Gonzalez's aunt Mily Trevino-Sauceda.

Gonzalez was assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division and based at Twentynine Palms. He is survived by a wife and daughter.

Mourners, including U.S. Rep. Mary Bono, R-Palm Springs, and Mayor Mike Wilson, filled Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church for his funeral.

"He wasn't even born in this country but he gave his life for this country," The Rev. Miguel Ceja said. He presided over the Mass and graveside service at a Coachella cemetery.

Also attending were: Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Mitchell Paige of La Quinta and Robert E. Bush of Indio; Coachella Mayor Juan De Lara; dozens of military veterans; and a funeral detail from the Marine Corps.

Two Indians performed traditional funeral ceremonies at the graveside with burning sage, prayers and a song.

Gonzalez grew up in a family steeped in the philosophy of nonviolence practiced by United Farm Workers union leader Cesar Chavez. Both his mother, Silvia Berrones, and his stepfather, Leo Trevino, have worked as UFW organizers. Some waved red UFW flags during the service.

A UFW representative offered his condolences as did the Mexican consul in San Bernardino, Carlos I. Giralt Cabrales.

"Now that he is gone, I feel like a part of me is empty," said Gonzalez's 18-year-old widow, Yvonne, of Escondido. "He is our hero."

Lance Cpl David Edward Owens Jr., Winchester, VA, April 12, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:22:42Z

CBSNEWS.com - Marine Lance Cpl. David Edward Owens Jr., 20, of Winchester, Va., joined the Marines after high school as training to become a state trooper.

He wasn't worried about his deployment to Iraq, he told his parents. It was what he had been training for.

"That was his job," his mother said. "He was very proud to be a Marine."

The family was notified April 12 that Owens had been injured in a gun battle in Baghdad. Two days later, the military said he didn't survive his wounds.

Owens, 20, loved hunting and athletics, and was a wrestler and football player in high school.

Debbie Owens said her son was always trying to make her laugh. Whenever he discovered his mother crying, Owens would come over and gently chide her.

He would say, "You don't need to be crying. Why are you crying?" she said. "We couldn't ask for a better child."

Staff Sgt Riayan A. Tejeda, New York, NY, April 11, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:21:23Z

CBSNEWS.com - Candles burned outside the Tejeda family's door in New York City, where a photo of their son, Marine Staff Sgt. Riayan A. Tejeda, was posted along with the words "Our Hero."

Tejeda, 26, was killed April 11 in combat.

"They don't tell me exactly what happened," his father, Julio Tejeda, said. "They only come to my house and say they have bad news for me: My son has been killed in the fighting in Iraq."

Julio Tejeda said his son was a fan of Latin music and always told his mother that he loved her. He was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and is survived by two daughters, ages 3 and 6, Gunnery Sgt. Luz Fontaine said.

Sgy Jeffrey E. Bohr Jr., Ossian, IA, April 10, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:20:04Z

CBSNEWS.com - Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeff Bohr was a dedicated Marine who was ready to go to war, his father said.

"Jeff wouldn't have had it any other way," said Eddie Bohr.

Bohr, 39, a native of Ossian, Iowa, died in combat April 10.

Bohr, who finished several marathons and ran 10 miles a day, spent a few years in the Army before joining the Marines. He was an instructor at Camp Pendleton before heading to Iraq in January and he lived with his wife, Lori, in San Clemente, Calif.

Eddie Bohr got a few letters from his son during his tour in Iraq. The final letter arrived just hours before Marines came to tell Bohr that his son was killed. In the letter, mailed about two weeks ago, Jeff Bohr said he had just been through a sand storm and battle in the desert.

Staff Sgt Terry W. Hemingway, Willingboro, NJ, April 10, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:18:32Z

CBSNEWS.com - Army Staff Sgt. Terry Hemingway was proud to command two Bradley fighting vehicles, but he was ready for civilian life after 19 years in the military. He had planned to retire later this year.

He would have more time to spend with his wife, Darlene, and their three children, Danisha, 7; Venetia, 9; and Terry Jr., 11, who in school pictures flash the same life-of-the-party smile as their father.

Hemingway, 39, of Willingboro, N.J., and based at Fort Benning, was killed April 10 when a car next to one of his Bradleys exploded.

Army Sgt. Gary Hemingway, 35, also was serving in Iraq. He was reassigned to escorting his brother's body home.

Their mother, Eva Hemingway-Shannon, held a Feb. 26 letter filled with lines that were pure Terry. As she read them, she had trouble stopping the tears.

"'Hey Mommy. How are you and Dad?' He always started off with, 'Mommy.' He always called me 'Mommy' unless he was mad at me," Hemingway-Shannon said.

Pfc Juan Guadalupe Garza Jr., Temperance, MI, April 8, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:16:37Z

CBSNEWS.com - Marine Pfc. Juan Garza, 20, of Temperance, Mich., was going to make the military his career.

"He was a kid that school came very hard for, but he really wanted to be a Marine," said his aunt, Jodi Bucher. "He studied and studied and studied."

Garza, who was killed April 8 in an attack at the Baghdad airport, was a little scared to go to Iraq "but knew it was part of his job," Bucher said.

He attended elementary and middle school in San Benito, Texas, and moved to Temperance about five years ago to live with his aunt. He graduated from high school there last spring and went to boot camp in July. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Garza had planned to marry girlfriend Casey Cole in 2005, Bucher said, but the couple surprised everyone and tied the knot the day after Christmas. Cole is in the Army, stationed in Washington, D.C.

Garza was the first from the Garza side of his family to graduate from high school and was proud of that, his aunt said.

The things that Bucher says she'll miss most about her nephew are his spunk and "zest for life."

Sgt 1st Class John W. Marshall, Los Angeles, CA, April 8, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:15:13Z

CBSNEWS.com - In his last dispatch before the war, 50-year-old John W. Marshall referred to himself as an old soldier with a clear purpose and little luxury to debate the reason for his mission.

"It's really not an issue with me. I am not a politician or a policy maker, just an old soldier," he wrote home in an e-mail. "Any doubts on my part could get someone killed."

Marshall, based at Fort Stewart, was killed April 8 by an Iraqi rocket-propelled grenade. He is the oldest U.S. military casualty of the conflict in Iraq.

Marshall grew up in Los Angeles, enlisted when he was 18, and served stints in Korea and Germany. He and his wife, Denise, had six children, ages 9 to 17.

His mother, Odessa Mitchell, saw him in October before he headed to Kuwait, and never feared he wouldn't come home.

"That was something my son wanted to do. He loved the Army," she said.

Pfc Jason M. Meyer, Swartz Creek, MI, April 8, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:13:58Z

CBSNEWS.com - In his last letter to his mother-in-law, Army Pfc. Jason Meyer, 23, of Howell, Mich., joked that his trip to Iraq was like "being on a beach with no water."

The soldier had just celebrated his first year of marriage, and he and his wife, Melissa, had been planning to start a family when he was killed April 7 as his personnel carrier was fired on, said Connie Arnould, his mother-in-law.

"He was a great kid," said Arnould's brother, Steven Cousino. He described Meyer as an "always happy-go-lucky, smiley kind of guy."

Meyer graduated from high school in Howell, Mich., in 1999 and joined the Army in 2001. He worked in construction and built decks for family members, and he loved the outdoors and family motorcycle trips, Arnould said.

His mother, Kathy Worthington, said her son's letters were always upbeat. The last time she heard from him was a phone call from Kuwait City on Valentine's Day. He was with the 11th Engineering Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Ga.

Worthington said the worry and fear for him came mostly from her, and he sought to reassure her.

"He was just, `Go for it and get it over with,'" she said. "He was always upbeat and happy. He was always a great kid."

Staff Sgt Scott D. Sather, Clio, MI, April 8, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:12:42Z

CBSNEWS.com - Air Force Staff Sgt. Scott Sather, 29, of Clio, Mich., was killed in action in Iraq April 8. He was assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, based out of Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

Sather, 29, was killed in action Tuesday in Iraq, the Pentagon announced early Thursday morning. He was assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron based out of the Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

Sather's uncle is Michigan State Rep. John Gleason, D-Flushing, who says Sather was married in July. His wife, Mel, lives on the base in North Carolina, he said.

Sather graduated from Clio High School in 1991, where he played football and baseball, Gleason says, adding, "He was well-loved in the community. He was very outgoing... He was just a great person."

Staff Sgt Robert A. Stever, Pendleton, OR, April 8, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:11:46Z

CBSNEWS.com - Staff Sgt. Robert Anthony Stever, 36, of Pendleton, Ore., was protective of his family and took time for those he cared about, his relatives said.

"He was always smiling," said his grandfather Ray Stever. "He was friendly and willing to help his fellow man. I don't think he had hardly any enemies."

Stever, a tank mechanic, was with the 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Ga., and his unit had taken NBC reporter David Bloom along as it traveled through the Iraqi desert.

"We live for those broadcasts," his wife, Cyndi Stever, said. If she wasn't home, she said, she would videotape them just to know he was okay.

Stever, known to his family and friends as Tony, had a 10-year-old daughter and had been a volunteer firefighter with the Pendleton, Ore., Fire Department, following in the footsteps of his father.

He left Pendleton in 1993 but still considered it his home, his wife said.

In his 13 years in the Army, she said, he completed two tours in Bosnia and one in Macedonia, but the war in Iraq was his first time in combat. He was killed by enemy fire April 8.

About a week before he died, Stever used Bloom's phone to leave a message on his grandparents' answering machine, said his grandmother, Betty Stever. "He said everything was OK and he loved us," she said.

Bloom himself died April 6 from an apparent blood clot.

Lance Cpl Andrew Julian Aviles, Tampa, FL, April 7, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:10:22Z

CBSNEWS.com - Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew Aviles, 18, of Tampa, Fla., had put off a full academic scholarship to Florida State University because he felt he had a moral obligation to serve, his family said.

Aviles was killed April 7 when an enemy artillery round struck the Amphibious Assault Vehicle in which he was riding. He was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve assigned to the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division.

His 21-year-old sister, Kristine Aviles, said she last talked to him when he was training and they discussed plans for the two of them to take a trip with their 17-year-old brother Matthew.

"We told each other we loved each other a bunch of times, and he said he was going to be back home," she said.

Aviles graduated last year from T.R. Robinson High School, where as a senior he was a class president, cheerleader and a member of the wrestling team. A National Honor Society member, he graduated third in his class and earned a full academic scholarship to FSU, where he planned to study business.

About 50 students sought grief counseling after hearing the news April 8, said Chuck Jaksec, who leads the district's crisis intervention team.

"This man had a phenomenal presence in this school. He was Mr. Everything."

Cpl Henry L. Brown, Natchez, MS, April 7, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:08:58Z

CBSNEWS.com - Army Spc. Larry K. Brown, 22, of Jackson, Miss., a graduate of Bailey Magnet High School in Jackson, was killed April 5 in fighting in Iraq, the U.S. Department of Defense said Tuesday.

Brown was assigned to the Army's C Company, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment of Fort Riley, Kan. He joined the Army on Oct. 19, 2000, and had been stationed at Fort Riley as an infantryman since April, 20, 2001.

Bailey principal Dorothy Terry said Brown has a sister, 15-year-old Lakeidra, in the 10th grade at the high school. She said the soldier's younger brother, Nicholas, graduated in 1999.

"We hate that this has happened," Terry said. "It was just a tragic loss for us and his family."

Terry said Brown played basketball, baseball and ran track.

"He was fairly quiet. He was also a kind of funny guy when he wanted to be, but for the most part he was a real serious young man," Terry said.

Sykes said she was called by Brown's mother on April 7 and told of the soldier's death. She said the family had not been given specifics about what happened, but "they are waiting for some people to come in and talk with them."

Capt Eric B. Das, Amarillo, TX, April 7, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:07:39Z

Amarillo Globe-News - For 10 days, Air Force Capt. Eric Bruce Das' family prayed, hoped and waited anxiously as Saddam Hussein's regime toppled in a blistering torrent of air strikes, tank battles and infantry assaults.

On April 7 in Iraq, Das, 30, was piloting an F-15E Strike Eagle on a bombing mission near Tikrit when his plane went down. Das and his weapons officer, assigned to the 333rd Fighter Squadron, were reported missing about 3:50 a.m. (6:50 p.m. April 6 CST).

His parents, Bruce and Rosie Das of Amarillo, soon learned their son was missing, and their family's private, painful ordeal began.

On Thursday night, a military liaison officer came to their Amarillo home and gently broke the news. Eric, a beloved son, husband, brother and uncle, had been killed in action while on a combat mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

His weapons systems officer, whose name still has not been publicly released, remained missing, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation, the Pentagon reported Friday.

Outside the Das family home Friday, an American flag flapped gently in a stiff Texas Panhandle breeze. The Statue of Liberty held her torch high on a "Support our Troops" yard sign. And inside, a loving, close-knit family came to grips with their worst fears.

Eric's wife, 1st Lt. Nicole Das, served as an Air Force intelligence officer in Qatar during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She and Eric were married Oct. 20, 2001, at First Presbyterian Church in Amarillo.

"Eric and I, we are soulmates," she said Friday. "And you will hear what a faithful servant he is and was to so many people and continues to be."

Das graduated in 1991 from Amarillo High School, attended the Air Force Academy and graduated in 1995. He and his wife were stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina before they shipped off to the Iraqi theater.

As military officers, Nikki and Eric knew the perils of combat and the danger Eric faced.

"We talked vividly about what a dangerous life he did lead in the jet and how you just never know when your time will be up," she said. "He said, 'Nikki, I have lived such a fulfilled life just in the short amount of time that I have been alive.' And it struck me because so few people have that kind of perspective of fullness, and then from even a human side of it, of having such a loving family and growing up in such a loving home."

Since Eric Das was reported missing, family, friends and loved ones flooded the phone lines with calls of hope and words of encouragement.

Air Force comrades and commanders alike called to steel their nerves.

Neighbors dropped by with mounds of food, and an ever-growing prayer chain spiraled across the Internet, a rapidly spreading testament to the strong faith that Das and his family shared.

His family paints a picture of a faithful servant, a quiet, humble leader devoted to his faith, family and anyone in need.

"Eric did not live his life in vain. His life probably impacted more people for eternity than we will ever, ever know this side of eternity," said his mother, Rosie Das, recalling the friendships her son nurtured in Amarillo and the Air Force. "He was definitely a leader. He was a leader in high school. He was a leader at the academy and in his squadron."

Stephen Neumann, Eric's brother in-law, described Eric Das as a well-rounded guy who loved hiking in Palo Duro Canyon, tackling household handyman jobs with his dad, and even had a flair for cooking.

"He was such a well-rounded person. He was such a manly man. He hunted, he fished, he loved cars, backpacking, outdoors," he said. "On the flip side, he was a gourmet cook. He was very tender with our children, with Nikki. He was very tuned in spiritually."

Elisa Das, Eric's younger sister, remembers how Eric taught her to drive and turned over his well-worn and established paper route so she could make some spending money.

For one of her high-school English classes, she once wrote a paper, titled "My Brother. My Hero."

"He was our hero," she said, as rivulets of tears streamed down her face. "He was our hero in anything that he did. I was telling somebody the other day, Eric was the epitome of what I wanted in a husband, all of his characteristics.... I have a list of what my brother is to me. The standard is Eric."

Staff Sgt Lincoln D. Hollinsaid, Malden, IL, April 7, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:06:31Z

CBSNEWS.com - Army Staff Sgt. Lincoln Hollinsaid, 27, of Malden, Ill., an engineer with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, was killed in a grenade attack in Iraq, his father said April 8.

Hollinsaid was driving a crane over a berm April 7 when it was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, his father said in a telephone interview, hours after learning his son was killed.

"You know, this is something that can always happen; that's what war is. So you kind of brace yourself, knowing it could happen but hoping it won't," said Dan Hollinsaid.

Hollinsaid said his son was working for a construction company when the Army bug bit him.

"A friend he worked with had been in the military and started telling Linc about it, and he just got infatuated with it," Hollinsaid said.

The 1993 Princeton High School graduate joined the Army in 1995 and was sent to the Middle East on Jan. 22, his father said. His parents talked to him on the phone 16 days later and got two letters since he was deployed.

"His main concern was that the young soldiers under him were trained properly. He wanted to take care of them," Hollinsaid said.

He said the soldier loved two things - the military and the outdoors.

"When he wasn't marching or doing something for the military, he was marching through the mountains on his own," his father said.

He fished, hunted and four-wheeled in a "Chevy truck he was in love with," Hollinsaid said. About a year ago, he took his parents four-wheeling in the mountains when they met him in Las Vegas while he was stationed at Fort Irwin, Calif.

The young soldier also taught himself to play the guitar, along with his brothers - Kevin, 21, who lives in Colorado and Adam, 30, of Rockford, a former Marine reservist.

He also expressed his concern for other parents and families who have lost loved ones or are awaiting word on missing or captured soldiers.

"All we can hope is that the end result brings about some good," he said.

2nd Lt Jeffrey J. Kaylor, Clifton, VA, April 7, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:05:15Z

CBSNEWS.com - Like most soldiers in the Middle East, Army 2nd Lt. Jeffrey Kaylor, 24, of Clifton, Va., was separated from his young wife, but not by as many miles as most.

Jenna Cosby also was on a tour in the Persian Gulf when Kaylor was killed in Iraq in a grenade attack April 7, according to the Pentagon. She's now returning home, military officials said.

Kaylor was focused enough to thrive in the military environment of Virginia Tech's Corps of Cadets, and graduated in 2001, said Col. Rock Roszak, who was one of his advisers.

"Kids come to college to grow up and make mistakes," Roszak said. "He didn't make mistakes. He was just even-keeled. He was focused."

Kaylor and his wife lived in the northern Virginia community of Clifton.

Roszak said Kaylor was on reconnaissance with the C Battery, 39th Artillery Battalion, Fort Stewart, Ga., when he was killed.

"We're all saddened by the news," Roszak said. "He was serious about doing what he was doing and about what he wanted."

Cpl Jesus Martin Antonio Medellin, San Antonio, TX, April 7, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:03:24Z

CBSNEWS.com - Marine Cpl. Jesus Martin "Marty" Antonio Medellin, 21, Fort Worth, Texas, was a gentle, quiet man who was active in church, loved his grandmother's tortillas and spent time with his 11-year-old brother, Simon, his family said.

"He would always play games with me, chess, and we would play on the computer," Simon said. "He would take me to movies and to the store a lot."

Medellin was killed when an enemy artillery round struck his Amphibious Assault Vehicle in central Iraq April 7, the Department of Defense said. His family was told of his death that night.

His aunt, Simona Sifuentes, said she and Simon had been going to church to pray for the Marine's safety.

"I was very nervous the past few weeks when my brother (Marty's father) would call me," she said. "I would panic and think they were calling me to tell me Marty was killed."

Medellin had been assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Pfc Anthony S. Miller, San Antonio, TX, April 7, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:02:02Z

CBSNEWS.com - As the war progressed, the family of Army Pfc. Anthony Scott Miller, 19, of San Antonio, Texas, watched television broadcasts from Iraq, hoping to spot Miller in the war zone.

"We were always worried," said Patrick Miller, Anthony's older brother. "We never knew exactly where he was ? in the front lines or in the back."

The Defense Department said the younger Miller was killed in Iraq April 7.

An Army representative who visited the family's home April 8 did not provide details of Anthony's death, saying only that he was killed in action. The military characterized the incident as enemy indirect fire.

"Ironically, we just got his mailing address a few days ago," said Patrick Miller.

The slain Miller graduated from John Jay High School in 2001. Not knowing what he wanted to do with his life, he joined the Army.

"He saw an opportunity to better himself and to apply the skills he learned in the Army at a future point," Patrick Miller said. "He had a bunch of ideas in his head."

Spc George A. Mitchell, Rawlings, MD, April 7, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-05 00:00:44Z

CBSNEWS.com - Half an hour before an Iraqi rocket killed him on April 7, Army Spc. George A. Mitchell, 35, of Antioch, W. Va., was on the phone with his wife in West Virginia, laying out plans to become a police officer.

"He jokingly asked me if I could put up with him in the police force, and I joked back that I'd put up with him in the Army," said Brenda Sue Mitchell.

Mitchell served six years in the Army after high school, then went into the reserves. But he missed the military lifestyle, his wife said.

"He really loved the Army life, the camaraderie," she said, so he decided to re-enlist in 2001, shortly after their second child was born. At the time, the family lived in Rawlings. Md.

He also wanted to return to Iraq, she said. "He said they should have taken care of the problem 12 years ago and that they were all itching to do it back then."

In letters home from his deployment with the Fort Stewart, Ga.-based 3rd Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade, Mitchell wrote to his wife about the chance he might not return.

"If my fate is not to come back. I want you go on with your life," he wrote. "I am now in my mode of focusing on what is to be my fate as a soldier. I am more ready than ever knowing that you are there and the children, they are what is going to pull me through."

Maj. William R. Watkins III, Danville, VA, April 7, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-04 23:59:18Z

CBSNEWS - William R. Watkins III played football and sang in the choir during his Virginia high school days - "he was a big fellow, but very artistic," said English teacher Edward Blain.

After joining the military, Watkins went back to school and helped student actors with a production that included some military elements: "He showed us how to salute," Blain said.

Watkins, who was killed in action in Iraq April 7, leaves his wife of five years, Maj. Melissa Watkins, an intelligence officer stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, and his 11-month-old son, William. Melissa Watkins is expecting the couple's second child in August.

Before serving in Iraq, Watkins was a Naval flight officer in the A-6E Intruder and F-14A Tomcat, according to the family. His Navy comrades called him "Salty," said his uncle, Tucker C. Watkins IV, and Watkins kept the nickname when he transferred in 2001 to the Air Force.

"Bill's legacy will continue in the lives of his two children as it will in the memories that each of us holds dear of this truly caring and loving man," his family said in a statement. "We have always been and will continue to be proud to have known him even for this very short time."

Sgt Stevon Booker, Apollo, PA, April 6, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-04 23:58:03Z

CBSNEWS.com - Army Sgt. Stevon Booker, 34, Apollo, Pa., a Gulf War veteran, once talked about passing lessons on to younger soldiers who had joined after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"One guy doesn't win a war," Booker said in an interview with The Associated Press near the Kuwait-Iraq border in December. "You have to have confidence in your equipment. The M1A1 is the best tank on the battlefield. It can destroy anything the Iraqis throw at us."

Booker's relatives in Apollo, about 25 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, were notified April 6 that the tank commander in the 3rd Infantry Division had been killed in Iraq. They had not received details surrounding his death.

"I feel like somebody just took all of my insides out of me," said Booker's aunt, Mattie Jackson.

In the months he had been stationed in the Persian Gulf, Booker requested turkey jerky, cupcakes, boxers and many baby wipes, said the Rev. Linda Hargraves, another aunt.

"The last e-mail I got was Feb. 17. He talked about miles and miles of sand. He was tired and he wanted to get the job done so he could come home," Hargraves said.

Pfc Gregory P. Huxley Jr., Forestport, NY, April 6, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-04 23:56:14Z

CBSNEWS.com - Army Pvt. Gregory Huxley Jr., 19, of Forestport, N.Y., graduated in June from Adirondack Central High School, so the announcement of his combat-related death in Iraq came as a shock.

"He just graduated last year ? what is he doing on the front line already?" football coach Mike Millich asked.

Huxley had played football through his junior year, then opted out senior year because he felt he should get a job.

"He was well-suited for the military," Millich said. "He didn't mind discipline. He followed orders. And he was proud. He was a proud young man."

Principal Frederick Morgan made the announcement over the public address system April 8, after receiving a telephone call from the soldier's mother, Mary Huxley.

The Pentagon said the 19-year-old, with B Company, 3rd Battalion, 17th Engineer Battalion, out of Fort Benning, Ga., died April 6.

He was a native of Forestport, an Oneida County town 55 miles northeast of Syracuse, where his parents live.

"I'd just ask continued support for people still over there," his father, Gregory Huxley Sr., said. "For the support of the president. Just because we lost (someone) doesn't mean it's over. I'd hate to see it cut short because of the losses."

Lance Cpl Ian Keith Malone, Dublin, Ireland, UK, April 6, 2003

Marianne_Vol_Researcher — 2007-05-04 23:54:30Z

Operation Telic - It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence can confirm that Lance Corporal Ian Keith Malone, 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, was killed in action in Basrah on 6 April.

Lance Corporal Malone, who was 28, was born in Dublin and enlisted into the Army in Belfast in July 1997. After training, he joined his Battalion in March 1998. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in October 2000 and served on Operation Agricola in Kosovo. He was a valued member of the Pipe Band after completing a Piper's Course in April 1999.

He had also seen service with the Battle Group in Poland, Canada, Oman and Germany.

He deployed on Operation Telic in an armoured infantry section with Number 1 Company, Irish Guard, as part of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Battle Group within 7 Armoured Brigade.

The Malone family have issued the following statement:

"Ian was a wonderful son, full of life and vitality, fun and wit. His family and girlfriend are devastated to learn of his death. He had so many friends and so much to live for. He loved the Army and lived for the excitement and challenges that being a soldier brought. He was proud to be an Irishman and proud to serve in the Irish Guards. His family takes some comfort from knowing that he died doing the job he loved."

The family have stated that they do not wish to speak to the media directly and request that their privacy be respected at this sad and difficult time.