Hero Stories for March 2009

(This letter below was sent out to all the soldiers that trained up with Daniel Casara and me at Ft. Carson.) Dear Ft. Carson Pals, I had been planning to send a letter to you all letting you know how things are going with me and those stationed in my close proximity. However, something much larger than that has forced my hand into action. Our dear and wonderful friend, SGT Daniel Casara, has been seriously wounded in action. He and I were assigned to the same company - he in an admin j...

Hey Everyone - It seems that I am always starting these letters like this. That is, with an apology for something or other. I know. I promised that I would get this one out with less turnaround time. It’s just that so much has been happening with my unit that it is incredibly hard to stay abreast my self. As a result, I will pick up where I left off in the last installment; however, I will skip a large portion of what has happened within the last few weeks. Much of what occurred is not the ...

Dear Everyone, I’ll pick up here where I left off last time. Please know though, that as I go out on at least one mission everyday, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no way I’ll ever be able to get you completely "caught up." (I say at least one mission per day as we often have two missions in a 24 hr period, i.e., a combat patrol during the day and a raid or snatch at night.) As such, it seems that this effort may always be a work in process. Nevertheless, where was I… As soon as ...

Julian Gill wrote a lot from Iraq. We've been fortunate enough to be able to share some of those letters. It's a great piece of real history. ----------- Below you’ll find several letters that I sent home and abroad to friends and loved ones while I was in Iraq. This is by no means every letter I sent; but, I believe they’ll be sufficient to give you a good picture as to some of my experiences. Enjoy… ---------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Everyone, Let me...

U.S. forces in Iraq are equipping Iraqis with the skills they need to assume a greater role in their nation's security. An integral part of that process is training, and U.S. forces are arming themselves with knowledge so they, in turn, can help outfit Iraqis with the tools required to move toward self-sufficienc

Spc. Gary L. Moore, 25, of Del City, Oklahoma, died March 16, 2009, in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an explosive device struck his vehicle. Spc. Moore was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas. </d

VICTORY BASE COMPLEX, Iraq - It's late at night, and while some coalition forces and civilian personnel continue to work, most of the Victory Base Complex (VBC) population is relaxing in their housing units getting ready for the next day's activities

Sgt. Robert M. Weinger, 24, of Round Lake Beach, Illinois, died March 15, 2009, in Jalabad, Afghanistan, as a result of injuries sustained in Kot, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Sgt. Weinger was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Woodstock, Illinois. </d

Spc. Norman L. Cain III, 22, of Oregon, Illinois, died March 15, 2009, in Kot, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Spc. Cain was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Woodstock, Illinois. </d

Staff Sgt. Timothy L. Bowles, 24, of Tucson, Arizona, died March 15, 2009, near Kot, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Staff Sgt. Bowles was assigned to the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. </d