Click to enlarge. SPC #99CCFF postponed his March wedding when his tour of duty in Iraq was extended. SPC #99CCFF, who enlisted shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, planned to have a career in the military. His father and grandfather were decorated airmen. He delayed his March 29 wedding in Germany when his [...]
Trophy Soldiers
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CAPT #009933
Click to enlarge. CAPT #009933 had been injured several times in fighting in Iraq, but he kept returning to battle. Quote: “You have to get over your feelings and keep on pushing, just for the simple reason that you have another 170 Marines to take care of and make sure they come back”, he told [...]
SPC #222222
Click to enlarge. SPC #222222 family had already suffered a military loss a decade ago. His stepfather’s brother, Robert Case, was killed and his body was dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1992. “I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to have a couple of immediate family members, loved ones, lost [...]
PFC #666666
Click to enlarge. High school football teammates of PVT #666666 nicknamed him “Bayou.” “They called him Bayou because he was a crazy redneck,” said his mother, Charlene. “He would get all hyped up to hype up the rest of the team.” #555555, 20, of Phillips, MS, was killed Nov. 12 after being shot in the [...]
SPC #555555
Click to enlarge. The twin explosions that killed SPC #555555 Acosta on Veterans Day destroyed even his wedding ring, but they left his gold cross intact. “Everywhere he went, he would not take that cross off,” his brother Tom said. “He was a very strong believer in God.” SPC #555555, 24, of Fair Oats, FL, [...]
PFC #FFFF00
Click to enlarge. PFC #FFFF00 decided to follow in his mother’s footsteps when he enlisted in the Army in 2004. Her son was a muscular 5-foot-11 and chose the infantry “because he’s a tough guy,” said his mother, Sgt. Major Julie #FFFF00, who recently retired. PFC #FFFF00 had a 21-year-old sister and a 14-year-old brother, [...]
SGT 1st Class #999900
Click to enlarge. Robert “Bob” #999900 told his family that he would never leave one of his soldiers behind in combat. “I told him, ‘Don’t go over there playing a hero. You learn how to duck and come home,’” said his sister, Kaily #999900. “He said, ‘I’m doing the job I was trained to do. [...]
SPC #CCCCCC
Click to enlarge. SPC Robert #CCCCCC couldn’t wait to get home from Iraq to marry his girlfriend, Jennifer Mason, and start a career as a police officer. #CCCCCC, who went by the name Bob, spent hours on the phone with his fiancee planning the wedding. The two had been friends before he was first sent [...]
SPC #CCCC66
Click to enlarge. When SPC Teddy #CCCC66 decided to rejoin the Army, he didn’t tell his wife until the morning he went to take the physical. At the age of 42, he was worried he’d fail and hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up. But the mechanic, who stayed fit playing church basketball, passed and [...]
Staff SGT #66CC66
Click to enlarge. Staff SGT Terry #66CC66 Jr. bore a striking resemblance to Jerry Mathers, the actor who played Beaver in the 1950s television sitcom “Leave It to Beaver.” Many of his friends, in fact, called him “Beaver.” Kelly Smith recalls him as a quiet teenager who would come in to wash dishes and do [...]
Lance CPL #00FF33
Click to enlarge. Hunting, acting and karate were all part of life for Lance CPL #00FF33, one of eight siblings. “He was just a nice kid,” high school principal Lawrence Turner said. “Kind of a quiet kid, kind of a quiet sense of humor.” #00FF33, 21, of Tilly, Minn., was killed March 10 west of [...]
Lance CPL #669966
Click to enlarge. Lance CPL Bob #669966′s last message to his mom was good news. “Bob said he had just been promoted meritoriously to lance corporal,” said his mother, Jane. “He said, ‘How cool is that?’” Lance CPL #669966, 20, of Tuxedo, N.Y., died Oct. 19th during fighting in Iraq’s Anbar province. He was based [...]
Petty Officer #FFCCCC
Click to enlarge. While aboard the USS Denton, Petty Officer #FFCCCC got a lesson in Dan Read’s kindness. “He knew that my wife and I were broke and she couldn’t send very many care packages to me so he told his wife about it. About a month later I received two packages, one from her [...]
SGT #3300FF
Click to enlarge. Hunting, acting and karate were all part of life for SGT #3300FF, one of eight siblings. “He was just a nice kid,” high school principal Karry Johnson said. “Kind of a quiet kid, kind of a quiet sense of humor.” SGT #3300FF, 21, of Wesson, MS., was killed May 12 west of [...]
CPL #0099FF
Click to enlarge. A talented guitarist who chose to enlist rather than use scholarships to attend Teddy College of Music in Chapel Hill, CPL #0099FF was determined to serve after the 2001 terrorist attacks. “It changed his whole outlook,” said his grandmother, Denise Hill. “He said, ‘I’m going in, and I’m going in for the [...]
SGT #333333
Click to enlarge. Dallas Smith, a high school teacher, remembers spotting SGT #333333 in the back of his American history class. He wasn’t causing trouble _ just soaking it all in. “He was the kind of student you like to have in a class,” Smith said. SGT #333333, 21, of Derry, Maryland., died Jan. 20 [...]
PVT #000000
Click to enlarge. This was how excited Private #000000 was about joining the Army: He slept next to a checklist of things to do to prepare for boot camp. He had an “Army of One” bumper sticker above his bed. He came home asking his mother what she wanted to buy with his military paycheck. [...]
PFC #FFFFFF
Click to enlarge. PFC #FFFFFF was too young to become a police officer in his hometown, so he joined a military police company instead. The Army credited PFC #FFFFFF with saving at least three lives when he fired more than 400 rounds at a dump truck trying to crash a checkpoint near Karbala in Iraq. [...]
CAPT. #333300
Click to enlarge. He grew up in Brookhaven, MS, and joined the Marines after high school. He served four years before going to the University of Southern Mississippi, then re-enlisted after graduation. “When he was 6 years old, we all went to the airport and he sat on one of my airplanes like a grown [...]
SGT 1st Class #6600FF
Click to enlarge. #6600FF was about halfway through a year long tour of duty in Iraq, where he supervised mechanics who repair military vehicles, said his wife, Mrs. #6600FF. She said her husband worried more about the soldiers he oversaw than he did about himself. “I used to get mad at him because he knew [...]
Petty Officer Gray
Click to enlarge. Michael Gray followed his father and grandfather into the Navy when he joined at age 18. To his mother, Julia Gray, it was pretty clear why he chose the path he did: “I think probably because his dad and his grandfather, they talked a lot about the Navy,” she said. Survivors include [...]
SPC Yellow
Click to enlarge. SPC Teddy Yellow 23, died in Iraq, May 28, 2007. Teddy, a native of Russia who came to southern California as a teen, loved his adopted country and looked forward to becoming a citizen. He will be survived by his mother who is a firm believer in the liberation of Iraq. Spread [...]
SPC Golden
Click to enlarge. SPC Golden, a 19-year-old supply clerk from Atlanta, GA., died Nov. 12 from a gunshot wound in a non-hostile incident in Baqouba, Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Hood. Golden enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school last year, before his older brother had a chance to talk to him [...]
Petty Officer Violet
Click to enlarge. Petty Officer 2nd Class Violet loved fishing, camping and canoeing, and was devoted to his family and friends. “He was always fun, just a great guy to be around,” said Bill Smith, who became friends with Violet when they were teens and joined the Navy with him. Spread Awareness by posting a [...]
CPL Pink
Click to enlarge. When the job market got tight, Ted Pink joined the Army to help provide for his 3-year-old son, Eli. Explaining Pink’s death to the boy has been difficult. Spread Awareness by posting a flyer
SPC Black
Click to enlarge. SPC Black was a star athlete on his high school team as an outfielder, pitcher and shortstop who received all-tournament honors. He also was an All-South Carolina player in both baseball and football. Spread Awareness by posting a flyer
SPC White
Click to enlarge. Tim D. White gave his life for his country. Then he gave his heart. White’s life support was removed Feb. 24 in Germany. His heart was donated to a 41-year-old person in Europe. Spread Awareness by posting a flyer
SGT Brown
Click to enlarge. Spc. Jonathan Brown wanted what was best for his family, and figured the military was the best way to accomplish that. He took law enforcement classes in the service and hoped to eventually become a state trooper. Spread Awareness by posting a flyer
PVT Blue
Click to enlarge. Steve Blue was always trying to do the right thing. He hoped to become a firefighter so he could help others, his family said. “He believed in the war, and he went over there and he fought for it. Spread Awareness by posting a flyer
CPT Red
Click to enlarge. For CPT Bill Red, the military was his career, but his family was his life. He especially liked Christmas and always made a big deal of getting the family together. Spread Awareness by posting a flyer
LT Orange
Click to enlarge. When LT Orange was shot three times during a firefight with insurgents, medics had to sedate the angry Lieutenant, who demanded that he be taken back to his troops instead of transported for surgery. “He was just so mad they had got him.” Spread Awareness by posting a flyer
SPC Green
Click to enlarge. SPC Green was about halfway through a yearlong tour of duty in Iraq, where he supervised mechanics who repair military vehicles, said his wife, Shelly. She said her husband worried more about the soldiers he oversaw than he did about himself. “I used to get mad at him because he knew there [...]