DOB/DOD: August 17, 1985 (Hartford, CT) – May 4, 2006; 20 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Mountain Road; Suffield
ENLISTMENT: July 14, 2003
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 0311; Rifleman
UNIT: Provisional Rifle Platoon, Headquarters & Service Company, 2nd Recon Battalion (Regimental Combat Team 5, I Marine Expeditionary Force-Forward); 2nd Marine Division; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
FAMILY: Born to Richard S. (1952-) and Linda Ridel Bixler (1955-). Twin sister, Sandra L. (1985-).
DECORATIONS: Awarded the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon with gold star in lieu of second award, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal (Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with bronze star in lieu of second award.
CIRCUMSTANCES: Killed in action while on foot patrol in Fallujah, Iraq.
Suffield High School; Class of 2003
Cross Country and track teams.
Citation to accompany the award of the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Awarded posthumously and with combat distinguishing device.
TO
Corporal Stephen R. Bixler
United States Marine Corps
FOR
Heroic achievement while serving as Assistant Team Leader, Provisional Rifle Platoon, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) from March to May 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On 4 May, while conducting a night-time dismounted route clearance in the Anbar Province of Iraq, Corporal Bixler accurately identified a portion of the road as a potential Improvised Explosive Device site. He immediately warned his fellow Marines of the hazard, providing them with critical time and space to protect themselves. With complete disregard for his own safety, Corporal Bixler moved forward to personally conduct a more thorough sweep of the area, selflessly exposing himself to potentially lethal danger. While closing in on the danger area, an Improvised Explosive Device buried nearby detonated, mortally wounding him. Corporal Bixler’s selfless and courageous actions allowed the members of his platoon to gain enough distance from the blast and undoubtedly saved several lives. Corporal Bixler’s noteworthy accomplishments, perseverance, and devotion to duty reflected credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
Signed on September 3, 2006, by Richard C. Zilmer, Major General, U.S. Marine Corps, Commanding General Multi-National Force – West. [citation provided by Stephen’s father, Richard; used with permission]
From Marines.TogetherWeServed.com
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion memorializes fallen Marine
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division | Story by Gunnery Sergeant Mark Oliva
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (May 12, 2006) – Marines from the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 in Fallujah, paused to honor Corporal Stephen R. Bixler. Bixler was killed in action on May 4, 2006. He was 20 years old. Bixler was assigned to the 2nd Recon Battalion’s Headquarters and Service Company, Provisional Rifle Platoon. “Corporal Bixler was a vibrant, active man,” said Lieutenant Colonel James M. Bright, the battalion’s commander. “He died fearlessly leading and willingly sacrificing his own safety for those around him.” Bixler was a Boy Scout as a child, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. He attended Suffield High School in Hartford, Connecticut, where he ran cross-country and indoor and outdoor track. He graduated in 2003 and joined the Marine Corps. He graduated from recruit training at M Company, 3rd Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. He completed the School of Infantry and was assigned the infantry military occupational specialty. He was later assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, and deployed to Haiti and Iraq. “Along the way, he became a noncommissioned officer, a leader of Marines,” Bright said. Later, he volunteered to join the 2nd Recon Battalion. He passed the screening and was awaiting eye surgery before attending the Basic Reconnaissance Course when the battalion was searching for leaders to fill the ranks of the Provisional Rifle Platoon. He, once again, volunteered. “He was exactly that type of Marine we were looking for,” Bright explained. Bixler’s platoon commander, First Lieutenant Nicholas J. Lodestro, said his first impression of the Marine was he was “loyal, knowledgeable, and dedicated.” “He was a warrior I felt comfortable to serve with,” said 26-year-old Lodestro from Jamestown, New York. “He was the man in front protecting us. He was a dedicated, unselfish, charismatic warrior.” Sergeant Mike C. Phelan, a 22-year-old fellow Recon Marine from Seyreville, New Jersey, said Bixler had several nicknames, from “Scuba Steve” to “Smelly Steve.” “They were all terms of endearment,” Phelan said. “There were two Steve’s. There was the quiet leader … and the other – loud, surfing, lady-chasing.” Phelan described Bixler as a man with a great sense of humor but profound insight. “He used to say when it rains, it’s not the atmosphere changing,” Phelan recalled. “But God is crying for us and what we’re about to do.” The short, quiet ceremony was marked by Bible verses and prayers honoring Bixler. Corporal Jeffrey D. Sullivan, a 22-year-old from Annapolis, Maryland, assigned to 2nd Recon Battalion’s A Company, played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes. Final Roll was called, and three times, Corporal Stephen R. Bixler’s name was called, only to be answered by silence. “Taps” followed in a final farewell. “He was a loving son and brother, devoted friend … Marine,” Bright said. “No more could be asked of any man. When the final roll is called and Stephen no longer answers, Steven’s still here. He’s emblazoned on our hearts.” Bixler is survived by his parents, Richard and Linda Bixler.
From The Hartford Courant May 30, 2006
A POIGNANT DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
Suffield Honors A Fallen Marine 25 Days After His Death In Iraq
By Peter Marteka | Courant Staff Writer
SUFFIELD — Brenda Jordan had vacation plans. She was going to the beach for the long weekend and a much-needed break. And then Marine Lance Corporal Stephen R. Bixler — who grew up in town — was killed in Fallujah, and his body returned home. And Jordan knew that she had to change her vacation plans and be home for the Memorial Day parade. “It’s awful when someone dies during war, but it’s totally different when it is one of your own,” Jordan said shortly after the town’s Memorial Day parade and observances were held Monday. “I didn’t know him or the family, but when it’s someone from your town, it feels like it is one of your own.” Hundreds lined the parade route as veterans and National Guard members, along with emergency workers, scouts, and the Suffield High School band, made its way along Mountain Road to Main Street, the town green, and Veterans Memorial Park. People applauded and shouted “thank you” as the veterans rode in vintage cars or marched past. “It’s a great day,” said John Walsh, a veteran of the Vietnam War who lives in Enfield. ‘It makes you feel like you did something that made a difference. It’s a day when you think about those still with us and those who have died so the rest of us can live in peace and freedom.” After the parade, hundreds gathered around the veteran’s memorial and sang “America, The Beautiful” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” and listened to poems and a stirring rendition of the Gettysburg Address. First Selectman Scott Lingenfelter said that it had been 25 days since Bixler, 20, was killed while on foot patrol in Fallujah. He also announced that the town was planning to purchase a bench in memory of the Marine and place it near one of the town’s two war memorials. “His death has shown the compassion and sense of community we have,” he said. “It was a welcome fitting for a hero, and a hero is what he was. Today, we honor him and everyone who has laid down their life for us.” Major General Thaddeus Martin of the Connecticut National Guard said that this Memorial Day observance has “renewed significance for us all” after the death of a native son. He said that 700 state guardsmen are serving and that 400 will be called by the end of the summer. “These are the sons, fathers, mothers, and daughters of ordinary people,” he said, “who, along with other families, are asked to make an extraordinary sacrifice in extraordinary times. Americans have never failed to step up and answer the call of duty. It is worth the price it sometimes demands… The support of these men and women is the most powerful weapon against terrorism.” Other area towns, including Bloomfield, Mansfield, East Windsor, Glastonbury, Rocky Hill, and West Hartford, also held Memorial Day observances on Monday. State Senator Jonathan A. Harris, who represents West Hartford, Bloomfield, Farmington, and Burlington, urged audience members in West Hartford to rededicate themselves daily to paying tribute to those honored on this holiday. Paying respect to those people, he said, could be as simple as attending public meetings, joining a political party, or voting in the upcoming elections. “That,” he said, “is the way we will truly and correctly pay tribute to those who gave their lives.”
Memorialized on a segment of Route 190 in Suffield from the beginning of Thompsonville Road at Mapleton easterly to Route 159, Suffield, Connecticut. Photo by Jeff DeWitt.
Memorialized with a bench at the Veterans Monument at Bridge and South Main Streets in Suffield, Connecticut.
CORPORAL STEPHEN R. BIXLER
KILLED IN IRAQ ON MAY 4, 2006
DONATED BY THE TOWN’S EMPLOYEES
Corporal Bixler is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Avenue, Arlington, Virginia; Section 60, Site 8344. Photo by Jeff DeWitt.
