CAPTAIN JASON RICHARD HAMILL; ARMY

DOB/DOD: January 5, 1975 (New Haven, CT) – November 26, 2006; 31 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Karen K. Nixon (1976-) on July 30, 2005 in Tarrant, Texas
LOCAL ADDRESS: West Road; Salem
ENLISTMENT: October 5, 1994
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 21B; Combat Engineer
UNIT: Company E, 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division; Fort Hood, Texas

FAMILY: Born to Richard W. [retired Navy Chief Petty Officer] (1944-) and Sharon Norton Hamill (1949-). One triplet brother, Jeffrey T. (1975-). Two sisters, one of triplets, Stephanie E. Hamill de Lencastre (1975-) and Tonya M. Hamill Taday (1972-).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal with device, Army Achievement Medal with three devices, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal with device, Kosovo Campaign Medal with two devices, Iraq Campaign Medal with device, Global War on Terrorism (Expeditionary) Medal, Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal, Army Overseas Ribbon, and NATO ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Medal – Kosovo.

CIRCUMSTANCES: Died of injuries sustained when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad. Also killed in this incident:

Army 1st Lieutenant David M. Fraser; Houston, Texas
Army Private Joshua C. Burrows; Bossier City, Louisiana

Graduated from East Lyme High School; Class of 1993.

**Photos contributed by Matt LaConti and Aaron Maddux, East Lyme High School.**

Richard Hamill graduated from the University of Connecticut, Class of 1998. He was a member of the ROTC program at UConn while there. Jonathan Bartolotta, Program Coordinator, Army ROTC, University of Connecticut, contributed the two photos below.

**The two photos above are from FindAGrave.com. Photo credit to Karen Hamill.**

From The Day (New London, CT) on November 29, 2006

A FAMILY REMEMBERS ITS FALLEN SOLDIER

SALEM — Captain Jason Hamill e-mailed his mother from Iraq on January 17. The Army officer had been in the country for nearly two months and told his mother, Sharon, that he couldn’t provide specifics about his job. But his mission involved clearing routes and trying to catch the AIF members, or Anti-Iraqi Force members, who planted explosives. “The hard part,” he wrote, “is finding the bombs.” Sharon Hamill paused while reading the e-mail aloud from a laptop computer at her kitchen table Tuesday afternoon. “Well, he didn’t find one,” she said, then continued to read. Hamill, 31, was killed Sunday when a roadside bomb detonated near the vehicle in which he was riding. The explosion, which happened about 9 a.m. Baghdad time also killed two other soldiers. Governor M. Jodi Rell on Tuesday ordered all U.S. and state flags in Connecticut to be lowered to half-staff to honor Hamill. Flags will remain at half-staff until Hamill is interred. Hamill was a 1993 graduate of East Lyme High School and grew up in Salem, where his parents, Richard and Sharon, still live. He was one in a set of triplets, including a brother, Jeffrey, and a sister, Stephanie. Tonya is an older sister. A captain in the 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, Hamill was a company commander in charge of about 70 soldiers. The unit was deployed to Iraq in early December 2005 and was scheduled to return home any day when Hamill and the others were killed. A spokesman at Fort Hood said Tuesday that members of the 4th Brigade have been arriving home daily and that about 60 percent of the division has returned. He said the entire division will be home by Christmas. Hamill’s body arrived on Tuesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where it will remain until funeral arrangements are complete. Richard Hamill said his son once said that if killed in battle, he wanted to be buried with full military honors. “That’s the kind of path we’re talking (about),” he said. Jason Hamill’s enthusiasm for his new house in Texas was irrepressible. He built a stone patio and showed a flair for landscaping. “He put in a palm tree,” said his sister, Stephanie. She laughed and shrugged. “In Texas.” “He used to call me all the time and rave. ‘My flowers are doing great, my roses are doing great,’” Sharon Hamill said. “He was concerned, going to Iraq, who was going to take care of it,” Richard Hamill said. A life of active duty meant Jason had lived in Europe and Kosovo before landing in Texas, where he met his wife, Karen, who was introduced to him by Jason’s aunt, Beth Lynn, and where he bought the house. “Texas was his first home,” brother Jeffrey Hamill said by phone Tuesday. In January 2005, the Hamill family traveled to Texas for the triplets’ 30th birthday. The pack included Richard and Sharon, spouses and kids, Aunt Beth in Texas, and Aunt Mary from Chicago, plus two high school friends who went along to surprise Jason. “People slept on floors, on top of each other,” Sharon Hamill said. “We were smart and got a hotel room.” The family had planned a similar party for this January. Jason and Karen already had their plane tickets to fly to Connecticut, Richard Hamill said Tuesday. Jason Hamill’s military career began, in part, when he joined the ROTC program while attending the University of Connecticut. He started out studying engineering but ultimately graduated with a degree in economics, his family said. He accepted his commission upon college graduation in January 1998. That same day, he gave his father a silver dollar, part of an Army tradition of which Richard Hamill, a retired Navy man, was unaware. “I was enlisted, and officers used to pay enlisted men to shine their shoes,” Richard Hamill said, joking. “… So maybe he wanted me to shine his shoes.” In reality, said Lieutenant Colonel John Whitford, a spokesman for the Connecticut National Guard, tradition calls for the first person to salute the newly commissioned officer to be “coined.” Jeffrey Hamill said his brother became more outgoing after joining the Army and that he tried to take advantage of the travel that came with active duty. Jeffrey said he spent a week in Germany when Jason was stationed there. “That was fun,” he said. “I mean, the two of us just went around doing stupid things. We didn’t even know what we were going to do, so we’d be like, ‘Let’s drive to Heidelberg and see what’s up there.’ … We ended up touring the castle and just finding stupid things to do and meeting people.” Jason Hamill was the same way in high school, said a good friend, Jon Stadler. “We both liked to be adventurous, have a little fun, cause a little trouble,” said Stadler of East Lyme, who met Hamill at East Lyme High School when he was a sophomore and Hamill was a freshman. Stadler, one of the first friends the Hamill family mentions, said he wasn’t sure whether he could be considered Hamill’s best friend. “I think Jason had a lot of close friends,” he said. “He was a special person in that way. He would always make everyone feel they were very important to him. “If you ever needed him, he was the first guy there, without question. I shared that relationship with him, as well as a couple of other buddies. I don’t know if he had one best friend in particular.” Richard Hamill said he doesn’t want to make political statements about the war. “(Jason) believed very strongly that what he was doing made a difference,” he said, adding that his son reported to his family that what he saw on the news and what he saw in person were often two different things. “So, he saw a disconnect between the media and what was actually occurring.” Jeffrey Hamill said Tuesday that he and his brother disagreed about the war, which Jeffrey said he had roundly opposed from the start. “That’s another hard part for me,” Jeffrey said. “I feel like I lost my brother to a lost cause.” Sharon Hamill wears a green camouflage wristband bearing the unit’s nickname: “Armor Hounds of Hell.” She’s worn it since about May, when Jason’s wife sent batches of them to friends and family, part of a fund-raising effort for the unit. It dangled around Sharon Hamill’s wrist on Tuesday, and she would snap it from time to time. She trolled through photos on the computer of Jason at his wedding, of familiar websites, of old e-mails. The Hamill family wanted to talk about Jason, they said Tuesday, to honor his memory. “I think it would be important (to him),” Stephanie Hamill said, “(to let people know) that he believed in what he was doing.”

From obits.gazette.com

I will never forget you. Not a day passes that I don’t think about meeting you and chatting about the changes in the UConn campus and ROTC program. I will never forget what you did for the country, the dramatic impact you and your unit had on the battlefield over the course of your time there, and the selflessness you displayed in setting us up for success as the incoming unit. You were an amazing individual and Soldier, and you deserved the chance to share your positive influence on this world for much longer than it allowed you. You’re the motivation behind everything I strive for.

— Rob Pellegrini

From The Day on May 27, 2021
By Elizabeth Regan

Plaque dedicated at East Lyme High School in memory of fallen soldier

EAST LYME — Stephanie Hamill’s voice shook as she turned away from the plaque emblazoned with her brother’s name to address a small group assembled Wednesday in the front hallway of East Lyme High School. “Thank you, everybody. This is really nice,” she said, the simple, quavering words filling the alcove before a small student orchestral ensemble took over with notes just as mournful. The new plaque was dedicated that afternoon by the school’s Veterans Day Committee at a ceremony rendered intimate by the school’s COVID-19 restrictions. Roughly 25 students, teachers, and members of the community — plus members of the high school band — came out to honor the memory of 1993 graduate Army Captain Jason Hamill. Hamill was 31 when he was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2006. He grew up in Salem. Assistant Principal Henry Kydd, a member of the committee, told attendees that the project had its origins in a speech given by Hamill’s friend, Elizabeth Stadler-Rheaume, at a Veterans Day assembly several years ago. “Jason’s story resonated with our student body. They listened, they put themselves in his shoes, and his story visibly moved them,” Kydd said. Describing the plaque as the committee’s effort to do “something more” to permanently honor Hamill, Kydd said the members hope it will be the beginning of a Wall of Honor to recognize all East Lyme High School alumni who go on to serve in the military. Stadler-Rheaume was at the dedication with Stephanie Hamill, representing family and friends. Jason and Stephanie, alongside brother Jeffrey, made a set of triplets with one older sister. Parents Richard and Sharon Hamill now live out of state. Jason Hamill married his wife, Karen, in 2005. They lived in Texas. Stadler-Rheaume said Jason Hamill’s loss was immeasurable. “He was just little Jay Hamill that went to school here, but he truly went on to make decisions that changed the world,” she said. His sister described someone who didn’t want to be the guy who went in on a mission and took over. “He really wanted to do well by the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan when he served there and Serbia,” Stephanie Hamill said. “It was really important to him to get to know the locals, try to understand what was going on.” That’s the kind of legacy that science teacher Lori Singer, a mainstay of the Veterans Day committee, wants to convey through the plaque. “This is a school that very much values academic and athletic prowess, and I’d like to remind our kids that is not what a hero is,” Singer said. “Academic and athletic prowess are wonderful and should be recognized, but this is a whole different level.” Singer said she wasn’t sure why the school didn’t have a plaque up already to honor Hamill but added, “At least we have it now.” History teacher Matthew LaConti, also on the committee, said he didn’t know why it took so long, either. “I wish there were a better answer,” he said. “But this has been the highlight of the year.” The black and gray plaque, which Singer said cost about $2,000, was funded by donations from a host of faculty, staff, and student groups. It described Hamill as a “proud Salem resident, model Viking student, and valued member of the class of 1993.” The inscription identifies him as a member of the varsity wrestling and track teams and a four-year member of the Viking Band. Memorialized on the plaque is the fact that Jason volunteered for one last mission before he was scheduled to return home from his tour in Iraq so he could ensure leadership was handed down responsibly to his replacement. It was during that mission that he died. “The East Lyme High School community will forever remember Jason’s sacrifice and seek to ensure his spirit of selflessness is instilled in future generations of Viking students,” the inscription reads. Kydd, who works with students in 10th and 12th grades in his role as assistant principal, said the goal at East Lyme High School is “to graduate good people, not just smart people.” Singer agreed. “Jason typifies good people,” she said.

Captain Hamill is buried in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas; Section 25, Site 163A.

LANCE CORPORAL TYLER OWEN GRIFFIN; MARINE CORPS

DOB/DOD:June 4, 1990 (Voluntown, CT) – April 1, 2010; 19 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Congdon Road; Voluntown
ENLISTMENT: 2008
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 0311; Rifleman
UNIT: 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, (Regimental Combat Team-2), Marine Expeditionary Brigade-A Forward), 2nd Marine Division; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

FAMILY: Born to Brian C. (1962-2003) and Susan M. (Perry) Griffin Wilding (1960-). Stepfather John P. Wilding (1959-). One sister, Sarah Griffin Catania (1987-). One stepsister, Erin M. Wilding (1992-).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with device, Global War on Terrorism Medal (Service), and the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

CIRCUMSTANCES: Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Graduated from Griswold High School, Class of 2008

**Photo contributed by CTHM (Connecticut Trees of Honor Memorial).**

From The Hartford Courant on April 4, 2010
By Mark Spencer

VOLUNTOWN MARINE, 19, KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN
Tyler Owen Griffin, a 19-year-old Marine Lance Corporal from Voluntown, was recently killed in Afghanistan.

Voluntown First Selectman Ronald Millovitsch said he spoke to Griffin’s stepfather, who confirmed that his stepson had been killed. The stepfather told Millovitsch the only thing keeping Griffin’s mother going is that her son was pursuing his dream. “The son had always wanted to be a Marine, and he got to be a Marine,” Millovitsch said. After the death was confirmed, Millovitsch said, he lowered the four public flags in the town of 2,600 to half-staff. “This town will go out of its way to help any way we can,” he said. Gov M. Jodi Rell ordered U.S. and state flags flown at half-staff until Griffin’s burial. Griffin was killed by an improvised explosive device, according to a report in the Norwich Bulletin. Lindsey Grenier, 20, went to school with Griffin from kindergarten at Voluntown Elementary School to Griswold High School, where Griffin played football. “Tyler was an all-around good person,” Grenier said. “He worked hard at everything he did, and all he wanted to do was serve his country. He talked endlessly about it.” Millovitsch said the family had gone to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware but was expected back in the state by today. Details about the funeral were not available, but Millovitsch said he was told it would be held in town.

From The Day (New London, CT) on April 6, 2010
By Megan Bard and Jennifer Grogan | Day Staff Writers

VOLUNTOWN REMEMBERS A GREAT AMERICAN

VOLUNTOWN — By all indications, Tyler Owen Griffin was born to serve in the Marine Corps. When given the artistic freedom during his culinary arts classes at Griswold High School, Griffin’s first inclination was to create a cake shaped like the Corps emblem. As a freshman, instead of asking GHS Principal Mark Frizzell, a 30-year member of the Marine Corps who retired in 2005 as a Chief Warrant Officer 4, for advice on whether to join the Corps, Griffin flat out said he would serve. “He had the mindset even before he joined. There were no second thoughts,” Frizzell said Monday morning. “He didn’t ask me, he told me.” On Thursday, Lance Corporal Griffin, 19, was killed in combat operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, according to the Department of Defense. The DOD did not release further details about the deaths of Griffin and another Marine, Sergeant Frank J. World, 25, of Buffalo, New York. Griffin, who graduated from Griswold High in 2008, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Friends and acquaintances said he had been in Afghanistan for only about 30 days. He wanted to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, according to someone who knew him as a child. “It’s a terrible thing, but this is one kid who wouldn’t have it any other way,” Frizzell said. “He truly believed in the Marine Corps, and as sad and as cold as it sounds, if he had to go at an inopportune time, this is what he wanted to be doing. I know he’s a man, but boy, he’s a kid. A great American.” Monday, teachers and students at Griswold High remembered Griffin as an energetic, enthusiastic, and respectful student and peer whose primary goal in life was to be a Marine. At the end of the morning announcements Monday, the school held a moment of silence that was broken by Frizzell’s voice at the end. “Semper Fidelis,” he said. In Voluntown, there is a sense of sadness. A resident was seen weeping in front of one of the American flags that now hangs at half-staff. A sign at the corner of Routes 138 and 165 and Beachdale Avenue read “Tyler Owen Griffin A Voluntown Hero.” Monday evening, Wendy Vachon, the youth leader of the Voluntown Baptist Church, remembered Griffin as a vivacious young man with an infectious smile, a healthy sense of humor, and always a kind word to share. Griffin was active in the church when he was younger. “He was a beautiful young man, not only in appearance but on the inside,” said Vachon, who worked as a paraprofessional at the Voluntown Elementary School, which Griffin attended. “I could tell from an early age that he was loyal to his country. “I’m just thankful for the service and life that he gave, but I’m sorry and will miss him greatly,” she said after taking a moment to keep her emotions in check. “I just pray that God will carry that family through this time.” Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Monday afternoon she planned to call Griffin’s family. “My thoughts and prayers and sympathies go out to his family,” Rell said. “It’s easy for us to stand back and say he died doing what he wanted to do and what he loved. That’s of little comfort to his family. But the truth is, he was doing his life’s dream, and that has to count for something.” Griffin’s mother, wearing a Marine Corps sweatshirt, declined to talk to a reporter at the family’s house Monday afternoon. U.S. Representative Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, called Griffin a “hero that every person in Connecticut should pay homage to.” “He stepped up and volunteered to make us safe and free,” Courtney said. Dean Wittwer, a member of the Voluntown Baptist Church and its spokesman, said the church is prepared to support the family and that a memorial service would be scheduled for Griffin as soon as the family contacts the congregation.

From The Hartford Courant on April 15, 2010

Lance Corporal Griffin is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Avenue, Arlington, Virginia; Section 60, Site 9153.

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ORLANDO ERIC GONZALEZ; ARMY

DOB/DOD: June 27, 1985 (Bridgeport, CT) – March 25, 2007; 21 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: unknown street in Bridgeport; moved out of state when he was 6 years old
ENLISTMENT: June 21, 2005
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 19D; Cavalry Scout
UNIT: Troop A, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team (25ID), 82nd Airborne Division; Fort Bragg, North Carolina
FAMILY: Born to Orlando G. Gonzalez, Jr. (1967-) and Carmen M. Diaz (1963-). Stepmother, Carmen Rosa (?-). One sister, Jennifer M. Diaz-Jackson (?-). Three brothers, Frank (?-), Michael (?-), and Nathaniel (1992-).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, and the Parachutist’s Badge.

CIRCUMSTANCES: One of four soldiers killed in Baqubah, Iraq, when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated near their vehicle. The three other soldiers killed in the incident:

Army Sergeant Jason W. Swiger; South Portland, Maine
Army Corporal Jason Núñez; Naranjito, Puerto Rico
Army Private First Class Anthony J. White; Columbia, South Carolina

Susquehannock High School, Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, Class of 2005; sophomore picture below and junior picture below that. He was one of three students given an award by the United States Army in his senior year.

From The York (Pennsylvania) Daily Record on March 29, 2007

AN AMAZING YOUNG MAN
Friend Patric LeBlanc said Orlando E. Gonzalez loved the Army

When Private First Class Orlando E. “Eric” Gonzales needed a place to live during his senior year of high school, Patrick LaBlanc was happy to make that happen, even though it was unusual for people to live at his camp during the school year. Generally, campers stay at Summit Grove Camp in New Freedom during the summers. However, Southern York School District contacted the camp looking for a place for Gonzalez — who was an incoming senior at Susquehannock High School at the time – to stay. Leblanc, executive director of the camp during several summers, described him as an ambassador – outgoing and willing to “talk (anyone’s) ear off.” “Orlando was an amazing young man,” LeBlanc said. “He had a heart as big as this camp.” The camp, LeBlanc said, spans about 45 acres. Gonzalez, 21, was killed Sunday in Baqubah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near a vehicle he was riding in, according to the Department of Defense. Three other soldiers, all assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were killed in the attack. Two others were injured. Both LeBlanc and Susquehannock Principal Brian Cashman said Gonzalez, who graduated from Susquehannock High School in 2005, had a difficult family situation, but they would not elaborate. Gonzalez is the son of Orlando G. Gonzalez of Connecticut and Carmen M. Diaz. Family members could not be reached for comment Wednesday. LeBlanc said Gonzalez was excited about joining the Army after high school. The soldier visited the camp a couple of times between boot camp and his deployment to Iraq. “He couldn’t wait to be seen in his uniform,” LeBlanc said of Gonzalez’s first trip back to the camp after boot camp. The camp director said it’s comforting to think of how Gonzalez – a “man of belief” who “Knew where he was going” – was excited to join the Army. LeBlanc believes “if you told him this is how it would end, he still would have gone into the Army.” Gonzalez lived in the staff dormitory at the camp during his senior year. His dorm, along with two others, sits toward one edge of the wooded campground, which has dozens of cabins and other buildings. It’s a college setting, with campers coming from as close as the immediate area and as far away as California, said LeBlanc, who has been the camp director for about 10 years. During the summer, LeBlanc said, about 25 teenagers typically live at the camp. Gonzalez had been one of those summer campers, and he was known as “Speedy.” “The kid ran like a gazelle,” LeBlanc said. At one point during Gonzalez’s stay, LeBlanc recalls seeing a wild rabbit darting around the campgrounds. He told Gonzalez he was probably fast enough to catch it. Gonzalez said he wasn’t fast enough. Later that day, Gonzales showed up at LeBlanc’s door. “There he was, petting this rabbit,” LeBlanc said.

From The York (Pennsylvania) Daily Record on March 31, 2007

Private First Class Orlando E. ‘Eric’ Gonzalez died honorably in the line of duty in Baqubah, Iraq, on Sunday, March 25, 2007, where he was serving as part of the U.S. Army’s Task Force Lightning. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Eric was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on June 27, 1985. He was raised in Glen Rock and was a student in the Southern York County School District. He was also an active participant in various church activities at the Shrewsbury Assembly of God. He often worked at Summit Grove Camp in New Freedom. He graduated from Susquehannock High School in 2005. Directly after graduation, Eric enlisted in the Army, both to pursue a career and because he was passionate about being able to serve his country. He was always dedicated in everything that he did – in church, schooling, friendships, his family, and especially the Army. He loved to run, have fun, and hang out with friends. He earned the nickname “Speedy” because of his ability to run the mile in under four minutes. Eric’s family is proud of his accomplishments in church, school, and the Army. Eric is survived by his father, Orlando G. Gonzalez — of Bridgeport, Connecticut; his mother, Carmen M. Diaz of York; his sister, Jennifer M. (Stephen) Jackson; his brothers, Frank, Michael, and Nathaniel; three nieces; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Eric’s joyous presence will be truly missed by all. His family is especially comforted in knowing that he is at home in Heaven eternally with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 3, 2007, at the Shrewsbury Assembly of God Church, 234 N. Main St., Shrewsbury. Pastor Robert Harris will be officiating. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery on a date to be determined.

From Legacy.com

As a high school friend of Orlando’s, I’d like to extend my sympathy to his family and other friends worldwide. Orlando made friends everywhere he went because his kindness and positivity were so far-reaching. For that reason, I am positive that he’s made many a friend during his time serving in the Army. I doubt if there’s a person who attended school with him who didn’t know him or at least know of him (his extremely fast running through the halls made him well-known!). He was always there to offer a hug or kind words to anyone, regardless of how well he knew them. He enjoyed life to the maximum degree, and even when he was having hard times, he’d never let on to it.

The last time I heard from Orlando was about a week before his death. He e-mailed me and said, “Guess what? I might be in Time Magazine!” He was so excited about that. Sadly, it doesn’t look like he’s made it into the magazine, but if there’s a Heaven, I know that’s where he is. And I guess that beats a magazine any day.

Over the last few months, he wrote me a few times saying “If anything happens to me…” usually followed by some funny scenario of how his friends were to revive him. This, and some other things he said in his e-mails, sort of make me wonder if, in some way, consciously or subconsciously, he knew.

We’ve lost such a wonderful person from the world this week.

Rest easy, Speedy.

— Megan B

Orlando was truly an amazing guy. He and I attended airborne school back in 2005 at Fort Benning. He was in my squad, chalk, as well as a roommate. This guy can run like the wind… the morning we took our physical fitness test; it was cold and windy… I could have sworn Orlando outran the wind coming in at an awesome time, 12:00 flat. Orlando was like a little brother to me, and he looked up to me as though I was his big brother. The last time I saw Orlando was at the gym at Ritz-Epps on Fort Bragg. We worked out together that morning. Orlando showed me a crucial ab workout that hurt like crazy 3 days after the workout. As we were departing the gym, he told me that he was about to deploy. He was excited, and he was talking about how when he returned, he was going to buy a new car. I encouraged him to do that cause we, as soldiers, work hard for our money. I told him to be safe, and I told him to promise me that he would come back home. Sadly, he didn’t. It hurt my heart to find out what happened to that guy. I cried and was sad for a while. He will never be forgotten. His memories remain in my heart. Old troopers never die; they just fade away. Airborne All the Way…Fury from the sky…God Bless

— Emmanuel Moore

Private Gonzalez is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Avenue, Arlington, Virginia; Section 60, Site 8614.

SERGEANT BENJAMIN LEWIS GILMAN; ARMY

DOB/DOD: May 21, 1975 (Meriden, CT) – January 29, 2004; 28 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Crown Street; Meriden
ENLISTMENT: November 6, 1996
MILITARY OCCUPATION SPECIALTY: 21B; Combat Engineer
UNIT: A Company, 41st Engineer Battalion, 10th Mountain Division; Fort Drum, New York

FAMILY: Born to Edith “Edie” R. Gilman (1952-). No siblings. His Big Sister from the Big Brothers – Big Sisters program is Jean Moran Pontacoloni (1965-).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Achievement Medal with device, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal with device, Army Service Ribbon, and the NATO ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Medal – Kosovo.

CIRCUMSTANCES: Sergeant Gilman was killed in an accidental explosion of a weapons cache. Others killed in the same incident:

Army Sergeant First Class Curtis Mancini; Davie, Florida
Army Staff Sergeant Shawn M. Clemens; New York City
Army Staff Sergeant James D. Mowris; Aurora, Missouri
Army Specialist Robert Cook; Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Army Specialist Adam Kinser; Rio Vista, California
Army Specialist Justin A. Scott; Bellevue, Kentucky

OTHER: In a phone conversation with Sgt Gilman’s mother, Edie, she shared the following: “I didn’t watch the news because I didn’t want to know what was happening. The power went out at work on the day I was first notified. After I returned home from work, the Casualty Assistance Officer rang the doorbell, and I refused to go down and open the door. Finally, after 20 minutes, when I did open the door, the news was that Ben was missing. A day later, I received the ‘we regret to inform you’ visit, which I expected. Ben was going to get back on February 5th, and we were going to go to Fort Drum to greet him and take him home. He died the week before that could happen. I have this title of Gold Star Mother. I wish I didn’t have that title.”

Graduated from Orville H. Platt High School in Meriden, Connecticut, Class of 2003. His mother graduated from the same school in 1971.

**Photos from ArmyTogetherWeServed.com**

From The Record-Journal (Meriden, CT) on February 1, 2004
By Christopher Symington

CITY MAN IS PRESUMED DEAD IN AFGHANISTAN

An accidental explosion in Afghanistan on Thursday left seven soldiers dead and military officials fearing a Meriden man may also have been killed. The accident was the military’s worst single casualty toll to date in Afghanistan. Three other soldiers and an interpreter were also wounded after a cache of mortar rounds and rifle ammunition exploded at an arms dump. Officials said Sergeant Benjamin L. Gilman, 28, of Meriden, was one of the soldiers preparing to dispose of the arms when one or more of them detonated, beading investigators to at first fear the explosion was a trap. Gilman, who was assigned to A Company, 41st Engineer Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, was listed as “Duty Status: Whereabouts Unknown” for two days after the blast, through Saturday afternoon, according to Connecticut Army National Guard Director of Communications Major John Whitford. Saturday evening, however, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Hilferty said Gilman’s status had been changed to “Presumed Dead.” A Connecticut Army National Guard representative was assisting Gilman’s family Saturday, Whitford said. Gilman’s mother. Edith Gilman did not comment other than to say that her son has been in the Military for a number of years. As a 17-year-old senior at Platt High School, where he participated in clubs such as the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America and the school’s Panther Pantry culinary club, Gilman’s interest in the military was already evident. He was active in the Meriden-Wallingford Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program then and spoke about his desire to serve in the military during an interview with the Record-Journal. The only son of a single mother, he also wanted to be a pharmacist or a chef. A Company, 41st Battalion, based in Fort Drum, New York, is a light combat unit trained and equipped for rapid deployment and was likely supporting another nearby brigade, Whitford said. He did not know how many soldiers may have been working near the arms dump when the explosion occurred. Three soldiers from Fort Drum were among those killed. They are Army Staff Sergeant Shawn M. Clemens, 28, of Allegany, New York; Specialist Robert Cook, 24, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; and Specialist Justin Scott, 22, of Bellevue, Kentucky. In all, some 107 U.S. soldiers have died – 37 of them in combat – during Operation Enduring Freedom, which began in Afghanistan in late 2001. “It’s tough. We all wear the same uniform regardless of the branch,” Whitford said. “Right now, we’re just working with the family. This is not something we like to do, but it’s a part of the job.”

From The Record-Journal (Meriden, CT) on February 4, 2004
By Evan Goodenow

CITY SOLDIER’S REMAINS ARE BACK ON U.S. SOIL; ARMY PROBE CONTINUES

MERIDEN — As Army investigators continued to probe their deaths, the remains of Army Sergeant Benjamin L. Gilman and seven of his colleagues arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Tuesday. Gilman, of Meriden, a combat engineer with the 41st Engineering Battalion of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, died Thursday in an explosion about 10 miles west of Ghazni, Afghanistan. A preliminary Army investigation has determined that a weapons cache that Gilman and his unit were preparing to detonate exploded, according to division spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Hilferty. While detonating explosives is never routine, it is done daily by the battalion. Since December, unit members have destroyed more than 80 bombs, 9,000 rockets, 700 mines, and 900 grenades, Hilferty said. Gilman and his unit were preparing to detonate mortar and rifle rounds, according to Hilferty, who said Gilman had provided “exemplary service” since arriving in Afghanistan in August. Gilman, 28, was a Platt High School student and active in volunteer efforts before enlisting in 1996. Despite the sometimes dangerous duties of the unit, Gilman made several attempts to join it before succeeding, his mother, Edie, said Monday. The soldiers’ remains were greeted by an honor guard as they were brought to a mortuary — standard procedure at the air base, which handles the bodies of most soldiers killed in action or accidentally, according to Air Force Lieutenant Colonel John Anderson, the spokesman at Dover.

From The Record-Journal (Meriden, CT) on April 14, 2004
By Hannah C. Glover

FALLEN SOLDIER’S MEMORY TO LIVE ON

MERIDEN — Those who loved him will never forget Sergeant Benjamin L. Gilman, but they want to make sure others in the city remember him, too. That’s why the city will establish a scholarship in the slain soldier’s name and possibly rename a Bronson Avenue park where he spent so much time playing basketball when he was younger, in his honor. Mayor Mark D. Benigni met with Gilman’s mother, Edith, and his Big Sister, Jean Moran, on Tuesday to talk about how best to honor him. The city has committed to contributing $1,000 to a scholarship fund, adding to the private donations Edie Gilman has received. Benigni said he hopes the city’s contribution continues long after he is out of office. “I like a scholarship because while the seniors at Platt this year know who he is, in five or 10 years, kids will ask, ‘Who’s Ben Gilman?’ and the answer will be, “well, Ben Gilman gave up his life for our freedom.” Gilman, a combat engineer with the 41st Engineer Battalion of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, died January 29 in an explosion outside of Ghazni, Afghanistan, a city about 90 miles southwest of the capital, Kabul. He was 28. The scholarship will be given to a senior at Platt High School, from which Gilman graduated in 1996 before enlisting in the Army. It’s his mother’s alma mater, too. Edie Gilman keeps a pin with a picture of her son in uniform attached to her purse. The pin reads “R.I.P. Benjamin Gilman.” She talked about her son’s love for sports, especially basketball. “If I ever couldn’t find him, I knew where to go,” she said. That was the small, run-down court in Bronson Park, off Cook Avenue. “He used to get so mad because there were no lights there, and there were hoops but no nets,” said Moran, who met Gilman when he was 11 years old through the United Way Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. “I’d rather just say he is my brother. I like it better that way,” said Moran, her eyes laden with tears. Benigni knows Bronson Park well. He ran recreation programs there when he worked at the YMCA, and living on Summer Street, he could see the courts from his second-floor apartment. Together, the three discussed naming a part of the park, or perhaps the entire park, after Gilman. At least, Benigni said, there could be a memorial rock or plaque in the park. “We’ll find a spot together,” he told the two women. They also talked about ways to keep the scholarship funded, perhaps through a memorial dinner. If food is involved, rice and beans must be part of the mix, Moran said. That was Gilman’s favorite dish. Dr. Stuart Calle, an emergency room doctor who lives in Coventry, came to the meeting as well. He brought a more private memorial — a small, black marble plaque etched with Gilman’s image. “I thought it would be my contribution,” said Calle, who, during a March 29 ceremony at the state Capitol, gave similar plaques to nine other Connecticut families who have lost loved ones in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Calle uses a computer program to manipulate photographs and then a laser to transfer the image from screen to stone. “It’s important to know you’re not alone,” he said. “It’s important to know Ben will not be forgotten in this town.”

From The Record-Journal (Meriden, CT) on July 10, 2004
By Evan Goodenow

GILMAN’S MOM DECLINES 1-ON-1

MERIDEN — An in-person presentation on the circumstances that led to the death of Meriden resident and Army Sergeant Benjamin L. Gilman would have been too painful for his mother. “I’m trying to find peace in this, and it’s not easy,” said Edith Gilman Friday as she sat in her Allen Court apartment surrounded by photos of her son. “I don’t want to be continuously reminded of that all the time. Enough details have been said.” Gilman, 29, and seven other soldiers were killed in an explosion on January 29 about 90 miles southwest of the Afghan capital of Kabul. The explosion was described by the Army as a routine detonation of a weapons cache — something Gilman’s unit, the 41st Engineer Battalion attached to the 10th Mountain Division, regularly does in Afghanistan — that accidentally went wrong. However, Dan and Jo Seitsinger of Oklahoma City, whose son Kyle Seitsinger, 29, was one of the soldiers killed, suspected a cover-up, prompting the Army’s decision to offer to make in-person presentations on their investigation of the deaths. On Thursday, three Army representatives arrived at the Seitsingers’ home. One worked with casualty assistance in Washington, D.C. The others, a major and a colonel, had recently returned from Afghanistan. They provided a thorough briefing, Dan Seitsinger said. “It was handled much more thoroughly and professionally than I expected. I was satisfied with the report — the information we got.” For 2 ½ hours, the visitors explained what happened, presenting evidence that included still photos captured from a video Kyle Seitsinger had been shooting. Dan Seitsinger said he could not reveal the information he’d been given since the families of the other seven soldiers still needed to be briefed. Since the October 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, 92 U.S. soldiers have died there. In Iraq, 875 U.S. soldiers have died since the March 2003 invasion. Seitsinger said the briefing showed his son was on “a very routine assignment” at the time of the explosion. “It was a very small weapons cache,” he said. “There was nothing suspicious about the explosion. Those weapons had probably been undisturbed since they’d been placed there 20 years ago.” Edith Gilman said she’s also satisfied the death was an accident. She expects to receive a written report on the investigation next week but isn’t sure if she’ll read it. Gilman said the Army has been helpful in assisting her with paperwork connected to her son’s death and that she plans to write family members of the victims and prepare a scrapbook of articles and photos of her son for members of his unit in Afghanistan. Gilman said her son’s close friends have helped her cope with the pain, as well as the belief that her son didn’t die in vain. “He’s helped the country, and he’s helped us.”

Memorialized on the 10th Mountain Division Heroes Walk Memorial, Operation Enduring Freedom IV, 10th Mountain Division Drive north of South Riva Ridge Loop, Fort Drum, New York

**Photo from HMDB.org. Photo credit to William Fischer Jr.**

Memorialized 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Memorial, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), 10th Mountain Division Drive north of South Riva Ridge Loop, Fort Drum, New York

Memorialized with Gilman Memorial Park, 224 Cook Avenue, Meriden, Connecticut.

Sergeant Gilman is buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery, 817 Old Colony Road, Meriden, Connecticut; Section 27 South (against a fence line).

SERGEANT DAVID “TRAVIS” FRIEDRICH; ARMY RESERVE

DOB/DOD: March 10, 1977 (Middlebury, VT) – September 20, 2003; 31 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Porter Avenue; Naugatuck
ENLISTMENT: February 2, 2000
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 96B20; Intelligence Analyst
UNIT: Company B, 325th Military Intelligence Battalion; Waterbury, Connecticut

FAMILY: Born to David A. Friedrich (1945-) and Elizabeth “Beth” G. Neal Friedrich (1946-). Two sisters, Tallie Friedrich Giuliano (1970-) and Amanda Friedrich Durkin (1975-).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal (Expeditionary), Global War on Terrorism Medal (Service), Armed Forces Reserve Medal with ‘M’ device and ‘2’ device, Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and the Intel Badge.

CIRCUMSTANCES: David Friedrich and another soldier died when mortars hit a U.S. base near the Abu Ghraib prison on the western outskirts of Baghdad. Thirteen other soldiers were injured in the attack. Also killed in this incident:

Army Specialist Lunsford B. Brown II; Creedmore, NC

OTHER: Honors graduate of SUNY Brockport (New York), Class of 1999. He was the recipient of the “Recent Alum Award” in 2004. The award was designed to honor recent graduates who have received their bachelor’s degree within the past 15 years and who have developed a positive relationship with the Alumni Association, the University, given outstanding community service, or shown outstanding professional achievement. 2022 marked the conclusion of the Recent Alum Award. It was replaced with the 10 Under 10 Alumni Award.

From his father, Dave Friedrich, “Travis graduated from High school in 1995 and from SUNY Brockport in 1999. He was interested in forensics as he was earning his degree in chemistry, and he did 3 internships towards that. He spent the summer before his senior year in Scotland. He lived in a hostel in Edinburgh and spent his days at Leeds and Borders Police in their Forensics Laboratory, devising a Toxicology Database for all of Great Britain. He had enough time to tour around Scotland on his own, and he loved that! Considering how much time he had left; we are forever grateful that he had that experience. He was very happy. Beth and I drove to NYC to meet his plane when he flew back. Before we went to LaGuardia Airport, we went to the Guggenheim Museum to see The Art of the Motorcycle. At the very top of the spiral was the 1998 BMW R1200C. After he graduated Cum Laude in Chemistry, he moved to Massachusetts to look for work and to plan his next moves. He wanted a Masters in Forensic Science. We had helped all three of our kids with their undergrad degrees but could not add to our debt with graduate school. I reminded him of the GI Bill, and the next thing we knew, he was a Reservist with the 325th Military Intelligence Battalion in Waterbury, Connecticut, and a graduate student at the University of New Haven, Connecticut.” WEBMASTER’S NOTE: Travis was posthumously awarded a master’s degree in forensic science from the University of New Haven in Connecticut.

From his sister, Tallie Giuliano, “Travis was a runner from middle school to his death. He was on the cross-country team and the track team in high school and at SUNY Brockport. At Brockport, his main event was the steeplechase. In his journal, which he wrote in every day, he kept track of the details of his days — where he went, who he interacted with, what he ate, the music he listened to, how far he ran, and how long it took. For us, those details were proof of a full life well-lived. He had a hilarious, weird sense of humor. Anyone who was with him was smiling.

Gouverneur Central School (Gouverneur, NY) Central School; Class of 1995

**Photo from FindAGrave.com. Photo credit to Robert C. Peurifoy.**

From The New Haven Register on November 8, 2003
By Mark Zaretsky

UNH family honors fallen soldier with poignant, final tribute

In a room packed full of teary eyes, Elizabeth Friedrich smiled graciously as she and her husband, David, accepted a posthumous master’s degree in forensic science for their son, Sergeant David Travis Friedrich. Travis Friedrich, as he preferred to be called, left the University of New Haven last January as his Waterbury-based U.S. Army Reserve battalion was about to be called to active duty. He wasn’t there to accept the diploma himself. He died on September 20 in a mortar attack at a U.S. base near an Iraqi prison. He was 26, an honors graduate of the State University of New York at Brockport. He was attached to the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade and was deployed with the 325th Military Intelligence Battalion in Iraq. “I’m so proud of Travis because of the work he put into the degree,” said Elizabeth Friedrich – like her husband, an English teacher at Gouverneur (New York) Central School – after accepting the degree from UNH President Lawrence J. DeNardis as part of the university’s Veterans Day commemoration. “It just meant a lot to us that he did receive this degree.” Besides, “sometimes you can just get cried out,” she said after the ceremony in the alumni lounge in Bartels Hall, the campus center. “Travis’ mother and his father are teachers. We understand the pursuit of excellence,” David Friedrich told the crowd after accepting his son’s diploma. “We understand the power that an educated person can have in the world. “Travis would have continued to have been one of the most powerful people in the world for good,” he said. “The real tragedy is what won’t happen, not what happened.” In addition to the degree, Graduate Student Council President Shawn Dolan, and several of Travis Friedrich’s friends – most with tears in their eyes – announced the endowment of the new Travis Friedrich Scholarship, to be presented for the first time in the spring. The scholarship will go to incoming UNH forensic science students. Dolan presented a plaque to Friedrich’s sisters, Amanda Friedrich and Tallie Giuliano. They also had tears in their eyes. Connecticut’s American Legion department commander, Lawrence F. Duffany, presented the Friedrichs with a Gold Star Banner. By the time Duffany finished speaking, he, too, had tears in his eyes. The keynote speaker, Major Peter A. Arcano, Friedrich’s former commanding officer, said forensics “was a passion for Travis- It was obvious to all who met him,” that Friedrich “was a bright young man,” he said. “He did his job, and he did it well,” Arcano said. “Travis was a shining example of what it means to be a citizen soldier.” The ceremony, preceded by a wreath-laying ceremony outside at the Maxcy Quad flagpole, had special meaning for some in the crowd because it wasn’t the first time the war in Iraq had taken a member of the UNH family. Just three months ago, on August 12, Staff Sergeant Richard S. Eaton Jr., son of UNH Director of Public Affairs Richard Eaton, and his wife, Sharon, was also killed in Iraq. Eaton, like Friedrich, was in military intelligence. The Eatons both attended and exchanged embraces with the Friedrichs afterward. David Friedrich, who for the most part was composed when he spoke to the crowd, told them nevertheless, “I have a few poets on my list, Robert Frost, for one,” that he can’t yet bring himself to read. He went on to quote one of Frost’s poems, “Lodged,” which reads:

The rain to the wind said,
You push, and I’ll pelt.’
They so smote the garden bed
That the flowers actually knelt,
And lay lodged – though not dead.
I know how the flowers felt.

Friedrich said later, in response to questions, that “to be the father of a soldier doesn’t take much. It takes one cell going in the right direction.” But “to raise the child that becomes the soldier” is what takes the serious work, he said.

From FallenHeroesMemorial.com

“Missing you today, as every day, but with a greater sense of sadness and a bigger knot in my gut than on the other days. Angrier today than the others for being forced to remember you on a date that I hate. I like remembering good things about you, happy memories, and funny stories on dates like 3/10 or 12/25, but not on 9/20. But this date forces me to contemplate an event of inexplicable tragedy, horrific and incomprehensible in its violence and finality. This date makes me question this life and all the events that led to that moment, and what could have been done to change it so that you were not there. What if I had been there to answer the phone when you called to ask if you should join the army? Instead of returning your call the next day to tell you, “No, dummy, just take out loans like everyone else,” only to hear it was too late, you had signed up the day before? Well, awkward silence, we both laughed, “It’s not like there’s going to be a war or anything anyway.”

Or what if we had gotten married, even though we were too young and unprepared? We might have been young and foolish, but at least we’d both be here now. What if you hadn’t been forced to work outside in a tent within range of guys who blast mortars out of the back of their trucks and shoot them over prison walls? What if someone determined it would be safer inside? What a hard lesson learned. I know it is futile to think about such things, but I can’t help it today.

Over a year ago, upon learning it was one of your dad’s favorite books and you had almost been named Rufus, I started to read James Agee’s “A Death in the Family.” I couldn’t get through it though; I couldn’t deal with the tension…the waiting…the suspense. I forced myself to read it this year on 9/11 to prepare for this day. Of course, I was hoping for a happy resolution that never comes. Feeling so much sadness and anger this year…

But I looked through all your old pictures and letters this morning, which brought lots of laughter, smiles, and tears. I am still astounded by how insightful you were then…how you knew things about me then that it took me years to figure out about myself. You were mature in so many ways that I wasn’t…and you inspired me by your strength. Not only your physical strength and perseverance to face difficulty with a positive attitude and push yourself to new limits, but by your moral character and strength and practicality that was beyond our years.

I went to visit your parents this year in their new place in North Carolina. It was so wonderful to be with them again, to remember old times and make new memories. We got to eat great BBQ, see the Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras lighthouse, and our doggies made friends. I am so happy to still have them in my life. I still owe them a letter after our summer travels. They are enjoying retirement and having a great time…with one big hole in their hearts. It reminds me of when I spent the night at your house in Macomb in the fall of ’03, wishing you were there next to me, just wishing for one more day to say all the things that will remain unspoken.

Clinging to every memory with every tear and smile…. surprised or relieved to feel so much after 7 years?”

— Dionna Leung of Oakland, CA

Sergeant Friedrich was cremated. His father, David, shared the journey of his ashes this way: “Septuagenarian Gold Star Dad on motorcycle sprinkles son’s ashes at memorials in all 50 states.”

SERGEANT EDWARD JEFFREY FRANK, II; ARMY

DOB/DOD: April 17, 1985 (Hartford, CT) – August 11, 2011; 26 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Selena P. Oakman (1984-).
CHILDREN: Three children: Del’von (1999-), D’zhanee (2003-), and Dayvontay (2008-).
LOCAL ADDRESS: Winchester Street; Hartford
ENLISTMENT: August 2005
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 11B20; Infantryman
UNIT: Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division; Fort Drum, New York

FAMILY: Born to Edward J. Frank I (1962-) and Sandra Frank Brown (1963-). Twin sister, Evelyn Frank (1985-). Half-sister, Lavetta R. Brown (1991-). Three brothers, Linell Brown (1995-), Daniel Brown (1997-), and Antoine Chambers (-).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal with device, Army Achievement Medal with device; Army Good Conduct Medal with device, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two devices, Iraq Campaign Medal with three devices, Global War on Terrorism Medal (Service), Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Medal – Afghanistan, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and the Combat Infantryman Badge (1st award).

CIRCUMSTANCES: Killed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Zhari District, Kandahar, Afghanistan. Also killed in the same incident:

Army Specialist Jameel T. Freeman; Baltimore, Maryland
Army Specialist Patrick L. Lay II; Fletcher, North Carolina
Army Specialist Jordan M. Morris; Stillwater, Oklahoma
Army Private First Class Rueben J. Lopez; Williams, California

From The Journal News (White Plains, NY) on August 15, 2011

LAST MISSION FATAL FOR LOCAL GI
Father Of 3 Dies In Explosion While on Patrol in Afghanistan

YONKERS — Sergeant Edward J. Frank II, who grew up in Yonkers, was killed Thursday while on patrol in Afghanistan. He was 26, married, and the father of a daughter and two sons. Rosemary Alvarez, a family friend, said Frank was due to return home the day before he died. He delayed his departure in order to volunteer for one last mission. “He was always laughing,” Alvarez said. “He was such a good man at heart. Great with kids. He was wonderful.” Frank, known as Jeffrey, was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. He joined the Army nearly six years ago and had twice served in Iraq, earning numerous commendations and achievement medals. He had been in Afghanistan since March of this year, said Julie Cupernall, a spokeswoman at Fort Drum, where Frank and his family lived. Frank and his team were on patrol in the Kandahar province when an improvised explosive device exploded near their vehicle, killing him and four other soldiers. Alvarez met Frank and his wife, Selena, when they were stationed in Germany. Alvarez and her husband, who is in the Army, lived next door to the Franks. The two couples had children around the same age and spent a lot of time together. The Alvarez’s are now stationed at Fort Irwin, Calif., but they stayed in close contact with the Franks. Alvarez said Selena Frank told her she had decorated the house in anticipation of her husband’s arrival. But the knock at her door came from three men in uniform, not her husband. “All they said was, ‘Sorry,’ and she just started screaming,” Alvarez said. “They didn’t have to say anything more.” That visit is something every military family dreads, Alvarez said. She said that when her husband is deployed overseas, she copes by avoiding news reports and trying not to focus on the possibility of that knock on the door. She said Selena Frank flew to Dover Air Force Base, Del., over the weekend to meet her husband’s casket. “She’s holding on,” Alvarez said. “She’s a very strong lady. She cried that first day. The next day, she was laughing, thinking about all the funny things he said. “She’s trying to hold onto those memories instead of holding onto the sorrow.” Also killed in Thursday’s explosion were Specialist Jameel T. Freeman, 26, of Baltimore; Specialist Patrick L. Lay, II, 21, of Fletcher, North Carolina; Specialist Jordan M. Morris, 23, of Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Private First Class. Rueben J. Lopez, 27, of Williams, California.

From The Hartford Courant on August 16, 2011
By David Owens and Laurie Perez

HARTFORD NATIVE KILLED BY BOMB

HARTFORD — A Hartford native was among five soldiers who died in Afghanistan on Thursday when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle. Sergeant Edward J. Frank II, 26, was born in Hartford but grew up and attended schools in New York. His mother recently moved back to Hartford. When he enlisted in the Army, Frank was living in Yonkers, New York. Most recently, he was living in Watertown, New York, near his base at Fort Drum. A Connecticut Army National Guard casualty assistance officer has been working with Frank’s family, said Guard spokesman Colonel John Whitford. Frank, who was known as Jeffrey, and his colleagues were members of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, New York. They were on a breakfast run aboard their MRAP, or mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, when a massive explosion destroyed the vehicle. All five soldiers on the MRAP were killed, according to an article in the Stars and Stripes newspaper. MRAPs are armored vehicles designed to deflect the force of explosions from bombs planted in or near roads. Frank joined the Army in August 2005 and served twice in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan in March. He is survived by his wife, Selena Frank, three children, and his parents, Edward J. Frank and Sandra Brown. Sandra Brown said her son wanted to be a soldier and loved his job. “This is something he loved to do,” she said Monday afternoon. “He said, Mom, I’m not going to leave anybody behind. This is “Our hearts are heavy, and our sympathies go out to the Frank family,” said Hartford mayor Pedro Segarra, who ordered city flags at half-staff. “This tragedy is such a loss to his family, his extended military family, his community, and his state.” Fellow soldiers assigned to Combat Outpost Nalgham in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan saw the explosion and described a plume of white smoke reaching 200 feet into the air, according to Stars and Stripes. Frank’s awards and decorations include two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

From The Stars and Stripes on August 20, 2011
By Laura Rauch

Memorial in Afghanistan stirs soldiers’ emotions as they grapple with combat deaths

FOB HOWZ-E-MADAD, Afghanistan – A muted laughter echoed under the canopy as a small band of Company C soldiers gathered on a wooden platform. They talked of small things; unimportant things that made them smile. But as gentle music began to play, a somber realism took hold: The members of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Regiment, part of the 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y., were there to remember. They took their seats as the other guests settled in around them. Some bowed their heads in prayer. Others began to quietly weep. A cruel emptiness filled the space as the battalion chaplain, Captain Omari Thompson, read the names of the soldiers being remembered: Sergeant Edward J. Frank II, 26, of Yonkers, New York; Specialist Jameel T. Freeman, 26, of Baltimore; Specialist Patrick L. Lay II, 21, of Fletcher, North Carolina; Specialist Jordan M. Morris, 23, of Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Private First Class Rueben J. Lopez, 27, of Williams, California. The five soldiers, all members of 3rd Platoon’s 1st Squad, were killed on August 11 when their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device near Combat Outpost Nalgham in Kandahar province. Regional Command-South Commander Major General James Terry arrived by Black Hawk helicopter, but there was none of the pomp and circumstance that often accompanies the arrival of a general. He quietly took his seat along with the other guests. While all of the 3rd Platoon was able to attend, most of the company stayed behind in Nalgham, guarding the strong points and fighting positions they have sacrificed so much to hold. “This is a time of war, and in times of war, there is killing and dying,” said the chaplain. “For one thing that cannot happen effectively during war is grieving because this war will not stop to give us that time. “So, the numbness you experience, the callous attitude you may have, your inability to cry like normal people during times of grief is not a burden or a curse that you should be concerned about. It is actually a blessing from God that allows you to continue in this fight. “You are warriors with hearts of steel that have allowed you to fight a brutal war day in and day out. You are not normal people; you are soldiers. American soldiers who go outside the wire and accomplish your mission in spite of the reality that every step, every movement mounted or dismounted could possibly be your last.” One by one, soldiers offered a tribute to the friends they had lost. Concluding his remarks about Sergeant Frank, the voice of a visibly hurt but composed Private First Class Broderick Booker rose. “The true test of man,” Booker said, “is not whether he can stand the times of comfort and convenience, but rather how he responds to the times of hardship and controversy.” Then Company Commander Captain Dennis Call spoke of time marked by battles — “campaigns fought, and comrades lost” — as opposed to the seasons marked by the young soldiers’ civilian counterparts. After the ceremony, Call spoke of the enormous strain of watching friends stolen in their youth and the lasting nature of that pain. “This is a healing wound for the remainder of the deployment,” Call said, “but it will be one that we’ll have to deal with when we get home. The physical pain and scars that guys endure are easier to deal with than the emotional scars.”

Memorialized on the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Memorial, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), 10th Mountain Division Drive north of South Riva Ridge Loop, Fort Drum, New York

***From HMDB.org. Photo credit to William Fischer Jr.***

Memorialized on the 10th Mountain Division Heroes Walk Memorial; 2011 Marker, 10th Mountain Division Drive north of South Riva Ridge Loop, Fort Drum, New York

*** Burial details, if any, are unknown. ***

SERGEANT RICHARD LEE FORD; ARMY

DOB/DOD: April 4, 1966 (Middletown, CT) – February 20, 2007; 40 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
CHILDREN: One son, Michael D. Patrick (1996-).
LOCAL ADDRESS: Woodland Street; Manchester
ENLISTMENT: Enlisted in the National Guard in August 1995; entered active duty in March 2004
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 11B20; Infantryman. He was also a 92Y20; Unit Supply Specialist.
UNIT: Company D, 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division; Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Army’s elite White Falcons is a regiment built on readiness, able to deploy within 18 hours of notification and parachute in among the enemy.

FAMILY: Born to Mason L. (1945-2017) and Claudette Y. Muff Ford (1947-2006). One sister, Vanessa Ford Migliore (1965-). One brother, Kevin (1965-).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal with ‘V’ device for valor, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal with device, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with device, National Defense Service Medal with device, Iraq Campaign Medal with three devices, Global War on Terrorism Medal (Expeditionary), Global War on Terrorism Medal (Service), Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Valorous Unit Award, Parachutist Badge (Basic), Rifle Badge, Machine Gun Badge, and Combat Infantryman Badge (1st award).

CIRCUMSTANCES: Died from wounds received from sniper fire during combat operations. No other information is known.

OTHER: From sister Vanessa Ford Migliore, “My brother was a huge Red Sox fan, and I was a New York Yankees fan. I remember going to a Red Sox–Yankees game in Yankees Stadium with him. When the Yankees fans would start chanting negative things about the Red Sox, my brother would stand up and direct them like an orchestra maestro. It was all very funny. He was also a big Dallas Cowboys fan. The thing with this deployment is that he didn’t guarantee his return like he did on the other two.” She also said he was “doing what he loved and was peaceful and humble about his life.” High praise from his sibling.

Graduated from Bacon Academy (Colchester, CT); Class of 1984

**Photo from FindAGrave.com and contributor Elizabeth Reed.**

From The Hartford Courant on February 27, 2007

SERVICES SET FOR SOLDIER WHO DIED IN IRAQ

Funeral services have been scheduled for U.S. Army Sergeant Richard L. Ford of East Hartford, who died Tuesday in Iraq from injuries he received in combat. Calling hours will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church in Colchester, 128 Norwich Ave. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at the church. Ford will be interred Monday at 2 p.m. in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The Belmont Funeral Home of Colchester is handling the arrangements. Ford, 40, was in his third deployment to the country when he was wounded by small arms fire near Baghdad. He is the 37th person with Connecticut ties to die in Iraq or Afghanistan since March 2002. He joined the National Guard in 1995 and entered active duty in 2004. Ford was a rifleman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A highly decorated soldier, he had received the Army Commendation Medal with a “V” device for valor, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart, among other honors. Born in Middletown on April 4, 1966, Ford was raised in Colchester, where he graduated from Bacon Academy. He has resided in East Hartford for the past 10 years.

From The Hartford Courant on February 27, 2007

Sergeant Richard L. Ford, 40, of East Hartford, died Tuesday (February 20, 2007) in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries sustained in combat. Born in Middletown on April 4, 1966, to Mason L. Ford of Colchester and the late Claudette Y. Ford of Middletown. Richard was raised in Colchester, where he graduated from Bacon Academy. A resident of East Hartford for the past ten years, Richard joined the CT National Guard in 1995, where he was stationed in Windsor Locks at the Detachment 1, Company G 104th Aviation. He entered active duty in 2004 and was assigned to the White Falcons 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A decorated soldier, he had previously served two tours in Iraq. He was a recipient of the Army Medal of Valor, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart, among several other honors. Besides his father, Mason Ford of Colchester, Richard is survived by his 11-year-old son, Michael D. Patrick of Bridgeport; his sister and brother-in-law, Vanessa and Robert Migliore of East Hartford; two brothers, Matthew L. O’Connor of Lebanon and Mason Ford Jr. of California; and grandmother, Marjorie Gordon of Middletown. He also leaves a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Predeceased by a brother, Kevin Ford; a grandmother, Thelma R. Ford; and a grandfather, Carter Ford. An avid sports fan, Richard was thrilled to see his team, the Boston Red Sox, win the 2004 World Series. He was a devoted father and loving brother with strong ties to his extended family. His happy spirit and beautiful smile will be sorely missed by all who’s life he touched. Richard is truly our Hero. Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, February 28, from 4-8 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church, 128 Norwich Ave., Colchester. Funeral services with full Military Honors will be held on Thursday, March 1, at 10 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Church. A 2 p.m. graveside service will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, March 5. Belmont Funeral Home of Colchester is in charge of the arrangements.

From Legacy.com

It is so hard to believe that it has already been 2 years. They say time is supposed to heal, but it never stops the tears. Since the day we met, you were my best friend, the man I always turned to, the man I knew would be there ‘til the end. Whenever I needed advice, I came straight to you. But now, when I need help, I don’t know what to do. When things happen in my life, and I’m feeling all alone, I look to the sky and speak to you because I can’t pick up the phone. Even 2 years later, I know that you’re in a better place, but it’s still hard to accept that I’ll never see your face. Until the day we meet again in heaven. To the man who was always so true, you are my hero and my best friend, and I will always miss and love you. — Kat Morgia

I had the absolute HONOR of serving as Richard’s Platoon Sergeant from the day he arrived at 2-325 until the completion of his second deployment in 2006. Were it not for his fierce determination and his unwavering bravery, especially in Mosul, several members of our platoon might not be here today to honor his legacy. It was his fine balance between quiet professionalism and relentless aggression toward those who would do us harm that made him the kind of Noncommissioned Officer others can only aspire to be. Though I’ve not had the honor of meeting his family, I find comfort in the fact that we raise our children to be better than we are. If that is the case, then I know his son is destined to be a man of unequaled character, and for that, the world is a better place. Those who have not served will never know. Those who are too afraid rely on men like Richard.

— Sergeant First Class Jon Cobb

Sergeant Ford is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Avenue, Arlington, Virginia; Section 60, Site 8540.

SPECIALIST DAVID RICHARD FAHEY, JR.; ARMY

DOB/DOD: December 13, 1987 (Norwalk, CT) – February 28, 2011; 23 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Fillow Street; Norwalk
ENLISTMENT: August 31, 2007
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 31B10; Military Police
UNIT: 170th Military Police Company (Dragon Slayers), 503th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade; Fort Lewis, Washington

FAMILY: Born to David R. Sr. (1955-2005) and Melissa Fahey (1960-). One sister, Phyllis (1989-). One brother, Nicholas (1994-).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with device, Global War on Terrorism Medal (Service), Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Medal – Afghanistan, Driver and Mechanic Badge, Marksman Ribbon (rifle and pistol), Military Police and Combat Action Badges.

CIRCUMSTANCES: Serving during Operation Enduring Freedom, David was killed on February 28, 2011, in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an Improvised Explosive Device.

OTHER: Born in Norwalk and lived in New York for a short time. He attended Jefferson Elementary and Ponus Ridge Middle Schools in Norwalk. He then attended high school at Faith Preparatory School in New Milford, Connecticut, and moved back to Norwalk when he graduated.

Purple Heart Medal certificate.

**Photo contributed by family members Cari Ettinger and Mike Standeiner.**

Faith Prep Academy (Danbury, CT) Class of ’06

From The Connecticut Post on March 3, 2011

Army Private First Class David Fahey Jr., a former Norwalk resident who was killed Monday in Afghanistan, will be honored in a ceremony this spring by the Norwalk Veterans Memorial Committee. Fahey’s name will be added to the Shea-Magrath memorial plaque at Calf Pasture Beach in a ceremony on May 22. The memorial honors those from Norwalk who have been killed in combat [died during wartime service]. Fahey’s name will be the 170th and the most recent since Specialist Wilfredo Perez, who was killed in Iraq in 2003. Fahey’s name will also be added to a plaque at City Hall honoring all Norwalk veterans. The ceremony at the Shea-Magrath Memorial will take place on May 22 at 1:00 p.m. The program will begin with a band concert by the Brien McMahon High School Wind Ensemble at noon. The ceremony gets underway at 1 p.m. with the presentation of massed colors. The first musical selection will be the National Anthem, and during the course of the program, the BMHS Wind Ensemble will play a medley of service songs, the Navy Hymn, Taps, and To the Colors. The memorial is named for Norwalk natives Daniel Shea and John Magrath, both Medal of Honor recipients.

Memorial bridge at Route 129 and Hunterbrook Road, Yorktown Heights, New York.

Memorial bridge at the 13.6-mile marker on Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Connecticut

Memorialized on the Global War on Terror Plaque, 55 Calf Pasture Beach Road, Norwalk, Connecticut.

Specialist Fahey is buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park, 101 Mill St, Putnam Valley, New York; Heritage Garden, Row 1, Grave 31.

MAJOR RAYMOND GRAY ESTELLE, II; AIR FORCE

DOB/DOD: January 16, 1971 (New Haven, CT) – April 27, 2011; 40 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married N’Keiba J. Knox Estelle (1974-) on May 12, 2001, in Hillsborough, Florida
CHILDREN: One daughter, Shayla J. (2002-), and one son, Raymond G. III (2010-).
LOCAL ADDRESS: Sherman Avenue, New Haven
ENLISTMENT: October 1989
COMMISSIONED: December 1998
AIR FORCE SPECIALTY CODE: 33SX; Communications & Information
UNIT: NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan (NATC-A)

FAMILY: Born to Raymond G. I (1950-) and Regina Estelle (1952-). One sister, Nyiesha R. Estelle (1973-).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with device, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with device, National Defense Service Medal with device, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with device, Global War on Terrorism Medal (Expeditionary), Global War on Terrorism Medal (Service), Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon (Short) Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon (Long), Air Force Longevity Service Medal with 4 devices, Air Force NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Small Arms Marksman Expert Ribbon with device, Air Force Training Ribbon, NATO ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Medal – Afghanistan, Cyberspace Support Badge (Master), and the Space Operations (Senior) Badge.

CIRCUMSTANCES: Killed when a disgruntled Afghani pilot opened fire on a group at Kabul International Airport. Referred to as the “NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan (NATC-A) Nine,” also killed in the incident were:

Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Frank D. Bryant Jr.; Knoxville, Tennessee
Air Force Major Philip D. Ambard; Edmonds, Washington
Air Force Major Jeffrey O. Ausborn; Gadsden, Alabama
Air Force Major David L. Brodeur; Auburn, Massachusetts
Air Force Captain Nathan J. Nylander; Hockley, Texas
Air Force Captain Charles A. Ransom; Midlothian, Virginia
Air Force Master Sergeant Tara R. Brown; Deltona, Florida
Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (retired) James A. McLaughlin Jr.; Santa Rosa, California

OTHER: The mass shooting by Afghan Colonel Amed Gul was the deadliest “green-on-blue” attack in more than a dozen years of war. Despite three separate probes by the military in as many years, victims’ relatives continue to question how investigators say the events unfolded that day in the Air Command and Control Center, where U.S. air advisers worked side-by-side with their Afghan counterparts.

Graduated from Platt Regional Vocational Technical School (Milford, CT); Class of 1989

From The Tampa Tribune on May 6, 2011

MAJOR WITH LOCAL TIES DIES IN AFGHAN ATTACK
Father-in-law In Valrico Recalls Him As Family Man

TAMPA — Levi Knox remembers the day his daughter, N’Keiba, called from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, where she was attending Air Force officer school. “I met my soul mate,” she told him. “Already?” he responded. She was 24, and her father cautioned her that she would meet a lot of men. But N’Keiba Knox and Raymond G. Estelle II eventually would marry in 2001 at MacDill Air Force Base. Both rose to the rank of major in the Air Force. Last week, Knox got a much sadder call from his daughter. “She was crying hysterically,” the Valrico man said Thursday. “She just got the word of her husband being killed. When you get a call like that, you kind of go into shock, but I had to be strong for my daughter.” Raymond Estelle, 40, died on April 27 in an attack by a disgruntled Afghan Air Force pilot that also claimed the lives of seven other airmen and a U.S. contractor. Estelle and his wife had a daughter and a newborn son. Estelle’s body will be flown into MacDill at 12:05 p.m. today and leave 40 minutes later for a Tampa funeral home with an honor escort. “He was very intelligent, very articulate,” said Levi Knox, who also served in the Air Force at MacDill. When Estelle asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage, “I approved, absolutely.” Knox said Estelle was “very family-oriented” and would call him frequently. Their last conversation was an early-morning call shortly before his son-in-law was killed. “We talked a little bit then, just family-type things,” he said. “He was real close to the Lord, and we talked about spiritual things.” There will be a wake for Estelle from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday at Ray Williams Funeral Home, 301 N. Howard Ave. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Bell Shoals Baptist Church, 2102 Bell Shoals Road in Brandon, with interment to follow at Florida National Cemetery in Sumter County.

From U.S. Air Force, 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs on January 24, 2013
By Senior Airman Melissa Paradise

Raymond G. Estelle, III, 22 months, touches a photo of his father, Major Raymond G. Estelle II, during a building dedication at MacDill Air Force Base Fla., Jan. 16, 2013. Estelle was one of nine people killed in action on April 27, 2011, and served at MacDill AFB from 1999-2001. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Melissa Paradise)

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida — The men and women of MacDill Air Force Base paid tribute to Major Raymond G. Estelle II, who served as the 6th Communication Squadron chief of maintenance support from February 1999 to January 2001, with the January 16 dedication of a new Consolidated Communication Facility that will be used by the 6th Air Mobility Wing and the 927th Air Refueling Wing. “This move will allow us to integrate our communications section with the 6th Air Mobility Wing’s,” said Master Sergeant Thomas McDonald, a client systems technician with the 927th ARW. “Once we are together, we can use to total force enterprise concept to our advantage.” On June 1, 2012, at the request of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, Lieutenant General Robert Allardice, Air Mobility Command vice commander, approved the new building to be named after Raymond Estelle. Estelle was one of nine people killed in action on April 27, 2011, by an Afghan Air Corps pilot during a deployment with the 838th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group where he served as the communications advisor for the Afghan Air Force. Estelle enlisted in the Air Force in Oct. 1989 as an aerospace ground equipment technician. He spent the first six years of his career at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. While there, he attained his bachelor’s degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, later receiving his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in December 1998. Estelle is survived by his wife, Major N’Keiba Estelle, United States Central Command deputy chief acquisition management branch, and his two children, Shayla Estelle, 10, and Raymond Estelle III, 22 months. “He loved being an Airman; his blood was Air Force blue,” said N’Keiba Estelle. “He lived by the belief that everyone should strive to be the best that they can be.” “Major Estelle was an exemplary communications-cyber officer and set the standard for others to follow. Dedicating the new communications facility would be a great tribute to his service to the United States Air Force,” Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Ray, the former 6th Communication Squadron commander, wrote in the dedication package request. A year and eight months after Raymond Estelle’s dignified transfer occurred at MacDill, and on what would have been his 42nd birthday, the CCF was officially dedicated to this hero. “They, [the Estelle family], have always been so proud of Ray, and I think that having ‘Estelle Hall’ here where he started out as a lieutenant is such an honor, and [we] are very appreciative that the Air Force has decided to recognize him in this way,” said N’Keiba Estelle. “Being here today, I think [we] gained a greater understanding of exactly what this means.”

From legacy.com; remembrances

Big Dawg, aka Ray, when I walked into that ASBC classroom at Maxwell AFB as a brand new 2nd Lt, I never could have imagined the impact that you, my Flight Commander, would have on my life. Over these last four years, you have been a great mentor, big brother, confidant, leader, and friend. I will always miss your laugh, jokes, and songs, but most of all, I will miss your wisdom and advice. Thank you for always having my back and being someone I could always depend on to listen to me and motivate me when I needed it. My heart aches because you’re gone, and I will miss you, but as the mighty man of God that you were, I know you are in Heaven now, and that brings me comfort. I believe all of us who knew and loved you now have another angel looking out for us. 🙂 — Chanelle Linson

Raymond, I will truly miss you. Our little crew had many good times. I will mostly miss our long talks about our futures and our goals and the encouragement you always gave. I will always carry you in my heart, and my deepest sympathy goes out to your family. May fond memories of you and your wonderful smile bring them great joy through their sadness and help ease the pain enough to make it to the next day. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna remember your smile and the good times. Love Always, Ant — Antoinette Walker

Major Estelle is buried in Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102nd Avenue, Bushnell, Florida; Section 321, Site 162.

**Photo from FindAGrave.com with credit to contributor “13th Generation Fairbanks in America.”**

SPECIALIST RICHARD “RICHIE” CHARLTON EMMONS, III; ARMY

DOB/DOD: July 8, 1988 (Christiana, DE) – May 31, 2011; 22 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Northwoods Road; North Granby
ENLISTMENT: September 23, 2009
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 25U; Signal Support Systems Specialist
UNIT: Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division; Fort Polk, Louisiana

FAMILY: Born to Richard C. Jr. (1963-1999) and Janice Tighe Emmons Hogan (1963-). Stepfather, William Hogan (1964-). One half-brother, Conor (1989-). One half-sister, Morgan A. Hogan (1998-2023).

DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Medal – Afghanistan, and Combat Action Badge.

CIRCUMSTANCES: Specialist Emmons died May 31, 2011, at Forward Operating Base Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket-propelled grenade.

Granby Memorial High School, Class of 2006

**Granby Memorial High School Library Media Specialist Casey LaPlante contributed the three photos above.**

From The Day (New London, CT) June 2, 2011
Jennifer McDermott | Day Staff Writer

CONNECTICUT SOLDIER KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN FIGHTING
22-year-old Dies In Grenade Attack; Joined Army In 2009

Army Specialist Richard C. Emmons III, of North Granby, was killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday. Emmons, 22, was the driver on a mounted patrol in Logar Province when the vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He died of shrapnel injuries at a military hospital. Emmons was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. He was a signal support systems specialist stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Governor Dannel P. Malloy ordered flags to fly at half-staff in Emmons’ honor. Emmons is the 57th soldier with ties to Connecticut killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the state’s count. “Our prayers go out to the family and friends of Specialist Emmons at this devastating time,” Malloy said in a statement. “We will not forget that Specialist Emmons, like too many of our men and women in uniform, gave his life for the cause of freedom and in service to this country. Our thoughts are with his unit still in Afghanistan, and we hope they, and the rest of our troops overseas, return home safely.” Emmons joined the Army in September 2009. After training at Fort Jackson and Fort Gordon, he arrived at Fort Polk in May 2010. He deployed with his unit in October to Afghanistan. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Action Badge. Emmons is survived by his mother and stepfather.

From The Hartford Courant on June 8, 2011

Richard C. “Richie” Emmons, III, age 22, of North Granby, CT, formerly of Woodstown, died Tuesday, May 31, 2011, in Afghanistan due to injuries sustained in an enemy attack. Born in Christiana Hospital in Delaware, he lived in Woodstown until 2002, when he moved to North Granby, CT. He is a 2006 graduate of Granby Memorial High School and also a 2009 graduate of the Porter and Chester Institute in Enfield, CT. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 23, 2009, and earned the rank of Specialist on April 1, 2011. During his military service to our country, he received the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Action Badge. Richie loved hunting, country music, and cruising in his Ford F-150, but more than anything, he loved to be with his family. He was very lovable and very kind, and wherever he went, he always left a place better off than it was before he came. Richie is survived by his loving mother and stepfather, Janice (Tighe) and William Hogan; his sister, Morgan; his brother, Conor; his maternal grandparents, Ralph and Carol Tighe of Pedricktown; his paternal grandmother, Arline Newsome of Salem; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was predeceased by his father, Richard C. Emmons, Jr., and his paternal grandfather, Richard C. Emmons, Sr. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 11 in the Catholic Community of the Holy Spirit Parish Center (formerly St. Joseph’s Church), Elm St., Woodstown, where friends are invited to visit Friday from 5-9 p.m. and Saturday morning from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass. Burial with full military honors will take place after Mass at Lawnside Cemetery in Pilesgrove. A memorial service in Richie’s hometown of North Granby, CT, will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Richie’s memory may be made to the Fisher House Foundation, Inc., 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420, Rockville, MD, 20850-5168, http://www.fisherhouse.org; or to the USO of PA & Southern NJ, Terminal A-East, Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, PA, 19153, http://www.libertyuso.org. Arrangements are under the direction of the H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Woodstown, 856-769-1515.

From The Valley News
By Jennifer Senofonte | Staff Writer

Granby mourns the loss of native soldier

Granby has lost one of its bravest to the war in Afghanistan. Army Specialist Richard Emmons III, known to his high school friends as “Richie,” graduated from Granby Memorial High School in 2006. He died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan on May 31. Granby residents are mourning the loss of their friend but also celebrating his life through fond memories.

“Richie was the laid-back country boy who would give you the shirt off his back,” close friend and classmate Heather Stringer said. “He was always smiling and laughing.” She recalled venturing to Hartford with him every summer for multiple country concerts and, on the way home, stopping at Denny’s for Richie’s favorite meal there, country-fried steak. “He loved his family, Fords, hunting, Budweiser, and his Jack Daniels,” she added.

Emmons died at a military hospital of shrapnel injuries sustained in the attack on his unit’s vehicle in Logar Province, Afghanistan. Governor Dannel Malloy has ordered flags to remain at half-staff until his burial, and, as of press time, arrangements are pending. “Our prayers go out to the family and friends of Specialist Emmons at this devastating time,’ Governor Malloy stated.

“We will not forget that Specialist Emmons, like too many of our men and women in uniform, gave his life for the cause of freedom and in service to this country. Our thoughts are with his unit still in Afghanistan, and we hope they, and the rest of our troops overseas, return home safely.”

Emmons enlisted in the United States Army in 2009. He was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Emmons chose these lyrics to a country song by artist Chris Cagle for his senior quote in the yearbook five years ago: “Scars heal, glory fades, and all you’re left with are the memories made. Pain hurts, but only for a minute. Your life is short, so go ahead and live it.”

This past weekend, country star Brad Paisley dedicated his concert in Hartford to Emmons.

From Obits.NJ.com

My daughter phoned this morning from Iraq, in tears, to tell us about Specialist Emmons, her BCT battle buddy. She told about a young man who was chivalrous and quiet, kind, funny, hardworking, and outdoorsy. She is heartbroken. She said he was one of the good guys. Our prayers are with the family of this fine American soldier. May he rest in peace, and may God comfort his family and all who grieve for him. — Mark and Cynthia Naughton

Richie was the nicest, kindest, sweetest, funniest friend everyone had in Granby. We will never forget him and all the good times we shared with him. He could make anyone laugh, even if they were crying. Richie – you will always make me smile, and I love and miss you so much. On behalf of all your friends in Granby – you are our hero. — Brittany Nowak

Memorialized on a monument at 20 Ashbrooke Avenue, Woodstown, New Jersey.

Memorialized with a monument in front of Granby Town Hall, 15 North Granby Road, Granby, Connecticut.

Specialist Emmons is buried in Lawnside Cemetery, 896 NJ-45, Woodstown, New Jersey; Sunrise Slope Section, Lot 237A, Grave 1.

CAPTAIN JASON RICHARD HAMILL; ARMY

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LANCE CORPORAL TYLER OWEN GRIFFIN; MARINE CORPS

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PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ORLANDO ERIC GONZALEZ; ARMY

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SERGEANT BENJAMIN LEWIS GILMAN; ARMY

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SERGEANT DAVID “TRAVIS” FRIEDRICH; ARMY RESERVE

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SERGEANT EDWARD JEFFREY FRANK, II; ARMY

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SERGEANT RICHARD LEE FORD; ARMY

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SPECIALIST DAVID RICHARD FAHEY, JR.; ARMY

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MAJOR RAYMOND GRAY ESTELLE, II; AIR FORCE

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SPECIALIST RICHARD “RICHIE” CHARLTON EMMONS, III; ARMY

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