Brett W. Land, Army, Specialist -- Rest In Peace

Brett W. Land, 24

Army, Specialist
Based: Ft. Campbell, Ky.
2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Supporting: Operation Enduring Freedom
Died: October 30, 2010
Zhari district, Afghanistan
Married, 1 child
Gender: Male
Hometown: Wasco
High School: Bakersfield High (Bakersfield)

17 weeks as a battle buddy and a bunk mate, forever a brother...I pray for his wife and newly born daughter. His daughter will grow up knowing that her father was a Patriot who paid the ultimate price for her freedom and for ours.
— SPC J Massengill
November 14, 2010 at 8:29 p.m.

From The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle as seen in Military Times:

A Fort Campbell soldier has been killed in Afghanistan from wounds suffered in an IED blast.

Spc. Brett W. Land, 24, of Wasco, Calif., died Oct. 30, [2010] in the Zhari district, Afghanistan, according to a news release from the Defense Department.

Land was an infantryman assigned to Company C., 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

He joined the Army in November 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2009, according to a Fort Campbell news release.

His awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Airborne Tab.

Read more about Army Specialist Brett W. Land here:

Land is survived by his wife, Sarah Land of Hesperia; newborn baby daughter, Rileigh Land of Hesperia; father, Kenneth Land of Camp Nelson; mother, Gretchen Land of Bakersfield; brothers, Ryan Land of Sonora and Rocky Land of Placerville and sister, Julie Land of Sonora.

A Service will be held in honor of [Specialist] Brett W. Land at Porterville Church of the Nazarene, 2005 W. Olive Ave., Porterville, CA on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 12:00 PM. Interment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Park.

And read more here and visit Brett W. Land's Guest Book here.

SOB Signage We Like

Courtesy of those Northern Plains Anglicans...

Stephen A. Bertolino, Army, Staff Sergeant -- Rest In Peace

Stephen A. Bertolino, 40

Army, Staff Sergeant
Based: Ft. Carson, Colo.
Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Troop, Regimental Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 29, 2003
Haditha, Iraq
Married, 4 children
Gender: Male
Hometown: Orange
High School: Granite Hills High (El Cajon)
Burial: Oak Hill Memorial Park, Escondido, Calif.

Bertolino, 40, was killed in an ambush Nov. 29 when gunmen opened fire on a convoy of American military vehicles in Haditha, Iraq…

He met his wife, Susan Roberts of Escondido, while their families were both camping in Julian. Bertolino, whose family is Catholic, converted to Susan's religion so the couple could be married in 1987 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Bertolino joined the Marine Corps briefly and then switched to the Army. He was an Army recruiter based in Santee for the last three years until he was transferred in March to Ft. Carson.


The 6-foot-6 man, who taught children's classes at church, frequently showed his soft heart to strangers and relatives, his family said.


"He was late for a lot things he should have been on time for because he had stopped to help somebody," said his brother Joe.

"As a father, he loved his kids. He is a big kid himself. He was always playing with the kids, his nieces and nephews."

Read the whole LA Times article about Army Staff Sergeant Stephen A. Bertolino here and find memories here and more here in his Guest Book.

1000 Words -- Trig Palin With His Mom

Via Lorie Byrd at Big Hollywood
Update: Lorie Bryd also seen at Texas for Sarah Palin

Jeffrey G. Roberson, Army, Specialist -- Rest In Peace

Jeffrey G. Roberson, 22

Army, Specialist
Based: Kaiserslautern, Germany
230th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade
Supporting: Operation Enduring Freedom
Died: November 28, 2006
Logar, Afghanistan
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Barstow
High School: Barstow High (Barstow)
Burial: Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside

Roberson, 22, died Nov. 28 of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Logar, Afghanistan. Also killed was Army Staff Sgt. Michael Shank, 31, of Bonham, Texas. Both were assigned to the 230th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade in Kaiserslautern, Germany. As part of Operation Enduring Freedom, they were attached to the 554th Military Police Company in northern Afghanistan.

Roberson's sister Jennifer, 18, postponed her Dec. 9 wedding to prepare for her brother's memorial service. "He was my hero," she said. "He was always real protective over me."

A handsome man who liked hip-hop music, fast cars, In-N-Out Burger fries, Nike shoes and Jean Paul Gaultier cologne, Roberson had hoped military service would give him an edge in becoming a California Highway Patrol officer. He graduated from Barstow High School in 2002 and attended the First Congregational Church in Barstow.

Read the entire LA Times article here and read more about Army Specialist Jeffrey G. Roberson here and find pictures here

Kirk J. Bosselmann, Marines, Corporal -- Rest In Peace

Kirk J. Bosselmann, 21

Marines, Corporal
Based: Camp Lejeune, N.C.
1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 27, 2004
Fallouja, Iraq
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Napa
High School: Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Md.)
Foreign Country of Birth: Canada
Burial: Cremated

There was no such thing as half speed for Marine Cpl. Kirk J. Bosselmann.

After he graduated in 2001 from Poolesville High School in Maryland, he traveled by train to California to jump out of airplanes to fight fires. And after joining the Marine Corps, he worked his way onto a sniper squadron, drawing on a childhood spent hunting game in the deep woods of Maryland's rural Montgomery County.

Quiet and confident, the former lacrosse player also learned to surf and ride a rodeo bull somewhere along the line.


"When dealing with him, you learned to not let anything surprise you," said Montgomery County firefighter Joe Brown, a longtime friend of the 21-year-old Marine, who was killed in combat Nov. 27 while fighting insurgents near the Iraqi town of Fallouja.

Read the entire LA Times article about Marine Corporal Kirk J. Bosselmann here; find a message from his mother here and a memory of a friend here.

Shabbat Shalom -- Tel Aviv

Photo of Tel Aviv as seen from Old Jaffa swiped from somewhere in Jewlicious.

Michael A. Smith, Army, Sergeant -- Rest In Peace

Michael Antonio Smith, 24

Army National Guard, Sergeant
Based: Arkansas Army National Guard, Texarkana, AR
1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment
Serving with Army 39th Infantry Brigade
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 26, 2004
Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Gender: Male
Hometown: Camden, Ark.
High School: Camden Fairview High School

Army Sgt. Michael A. Smith 24, of Camden, Ark.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment, Arkansas Army National Guard, Texarkana, Ark.; died Nov. 26 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., from injuries sustained Nov. 7 when he was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Baghdad.Arkansas soldier dies from Iraq wounds

From Military Times:

CAMDEN, Ark. — A soldier from Camden has died from wounds sustained while serving in Iraq, the soldier’s father said.

Michael Smith, 24, died Saturday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., his father, Donald Ray Smith of Camden, told the Camden News.

Donald Smith said in a telephone interview from the family’s hotel room near the hospital that his son had not been conscious in his two weeks at Walter Reed. Smith had been treated at a military hospital in Germany before being flown home.

Smith was serving with the 39th Infantry Brigade near Baghdad when he was shot in the head by a sniper, his father said. The soldier was riding in a Humvee on patrol when he was wounded.

“It was hard to watch my only son go through this,” Donald Smith said.

The soldier’s mother, Deborah Smith, and his sister, Lai D. Smith, were also in Washington.

“We have received so many prayers and phone calls,” Donald Smith said. “The outpouring of love has been remarkable. The number of calls we have received has been impressive.”

Donald Smith said he and his family planned to return to Camden on Thursday.

Michael Smith was a 1999 graduate of Camden Fairview High School. His father said his son had plans to return home and attend Southern Arkansas University Tech once he completed his military service.

“He was a computer whiz and that’s what he wanted to go to school for,” Donald Smith said. “He was a good child. Never gave us any problems. He was a good man. He was never affected by peer pressure. He was an individualist.

Also from Military Times:

Michael Smith of Camden died Saturday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. after his father says he was shot by a sniper near Baghdad.
A 24-year-old soldier from Camden has died from wounds sustained while serving in Iraq, the soldier's father said. Spc. Michael Smith died Saturday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C.

His father, Donald Ray Smith of Camden, told the Camden News that his son had not been conscious in his two weeks at Walter Reed. Smith had been treated at a military hospital in Germany before being flown home.

The father said Smith was serving with the 39th Infantry Brigade near Baghdad when he was shot in the head by a sniper. The soldier was riding in a Humvee on patrol when he was wounded.

Donald Smith said his son was a computer whiz and planned to attend college when he completed his military service. He said his son never succumbed to peer pressure and was a good child and a good man. (THV & The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Thanksgiving With America's Finest

Or, we get Thanksgiving because of America's finest.

Jeromy D. West, Marines, Lance Corporal -- Rest In Peace

Jeromy D. West, 20

Marines, Lance Corporal
Based: Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 25, 2006
Haditha, Iraq
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Aguanga
High School: Hamilton High (Anza)
Burial: Cremated

When Jeromy D. West was little, he used to tell his mother, Lisa West-Klopf, that when he grew up, he wanted to be an "army man," like his grandfather and great-grandfather.

Then, after the Sept. 11 attacks, when he was 14, he told her that if he had been old enough, he would have joined right then.

So when he came to her as high school graduation neared and asked her to sign the papers allowing him to join the Marine Corps at 17, she wasn't completely surprised. She eventually signed.

"I tried to convince him otherwise, but I knew he was going to go, either then or when he turned 18" three months later, West-Klopf said. "And I knew the journey was much better shared and spent together."

West, 20, a lance corporal from the Riverside County community of Aguanga, was killed by a sniper Nov. 25 in Iraq's Al Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

He had been in Iraq since September, after an earlier tour of duty in Afghanistan, where he guarded poll boxes during the elections there and felt he was part of history, his family said.

West tried to stay in close touch with his family from overseas and had managed to call home twice the week he died, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. He called on Nov. 21, his mother's birthday, and again on Thanksgiving Day, when he caught most of his relatives at home.

Read the entire LA Times story about Marines Lance Corporal Jeromy D. West here and read more here and find pictures here and here.

The parents of Lance Corporal Jeromy D.  West with President Bush.

Sergio R. Diaz Varela, Army, Specialist -- Rest In Peace

Sergio R. Diaz Varela

Army, Specialist

Based: Camp Howze, South Korea

1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division

Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom

Died: November 24, 2004

Ramadi, Iraq

Single

Gender: Male

Hometown: Lomita

High School: Narbonne High (Harbor City)

Foreign Country of Birth: Mexico

Burial: Buried in Guadalajara, Mexico

Army Spc. Sergio Diaz-Varela, 21, Lomita; Killed by Homemade Bomb

Army Spc. Sergio Diaz-Varela, who grew up in Lomita, enlisted three years ago so he could save up enough money to buy his mother a home, friends said.


The 21-year-old infantryman was killed Nov. 24 when a homemade bomb exploded after he got out of a vehicle in Ramadi, Iraq, a city west of Baghdad that has been a center of insurgent activity.

Diaz-Varela had been in Iraq only a few months. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Camp Howze in South Korea.

"He was a really good guy," said 13-year-old Fabian Garibay, one of many residents of a mobile home park in Lomita who are mourning the loss of their neighbor. "He played basketball at Narbonne High School, and he used to take us out to play basketball with him. He was nice to us."

Friends said Diaz-Varela's other main interest was his Ford Mustang.

Read the entire LA Times article about Army Specialist Sergio R. Diaz Varela here, don't miss the comments form his friends and family here and read more here.

Barney Frank Joins TSA

Boom3 favorite Representative Barney Frank (D-Ma)

has quit Congress to take his dream job working for TSA.

Breaking story thanks to Israel Matzov.

Hunk of Brie Files: Mrs. Todd Mitchell Palin -- Mrs. George Herbert Walker Bush

Fredd:

Now, Barbara Bush, former First Lady and wife of George H.W. Bush, has been quoted on Larry King's show:  Sarah Palin "seems happy in Alaska, and I hope she stays there."

Can't help myself, I'm yet fond of Barbara Bush.
Still, she might want to shut her cheese hole the hell up again.
Please.
Just shut up.
These days I'm a heck of a lot fonder of Sarah Palin than I ever was of Mrs. Babs Bush.
Here's a little more of Fredd's take on Blueblood Bushes and Redblood Palins:

Lowly Sarah is a University of Idaho graduate (ugh!). She knows how to track, shoot and gut a moose. Sarah Palin would not be caught dead with a glass of chardonnay and a hunk of brie in her hands, and accordingly is simply unsuitable to govern according to the Bush family.

Read more of what Fredd Says about elite rulling class snobs-snobs here at Fredd.

Rel A. Ravago IV, Army, Specialist -- Rest In Peace

Rel A. Ravago IV, 21

Army, Specialist
Based: Ft. Campbell, Ky.
1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 23, 2003
Mosul, Iraq
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Glendale
High School: Hoover High (Glendale)

November 30, 2003

In an e-mail message from Iraq earlier this month, Army Spc. Rel Allen Ravago IV told his family in Glendale how proud he was of his new job as a driver for a high-ranking military official.

The following day, Ravago, 21, and Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry L. Wilson, 45, of Thompson, Ga., were fatally shot in Mosul "when hostile forces attacked the vehicle they were in on Nov. 23," military officials said.

After graduating in 2000, Ravago joined the Army, which puzzled his family. Because he was a talented artist, his family thought he would enroll in art school. Before his deployment to Iraq in February, his family said, he told them that he was afraid.

But this summer he wrote and said, "I'm not scared anymore," said his aunt, Arlynn Solis, 44. "If you see the faces of the kids, it will warm your heart. Now I know I have to be here; otherwise, they won't have a future."

"He wanted to serve his country," his father said.


In addition to his parents and sister, he is survived by his grandparents, Rel Junsay and Rebecca Ravago of Glendale, and Eleanor Florendo and Leopoldo Ongcapin of Marina del Rey; three aunts; two uncles; and eight cousins.

Read the whole LA Times article about Army Specialist Rel A. Ravago IV, here; read more about Sergeant Ravago here and see more memories here:

"I never knew Rel, but I hear of him all the time. My best friend, my brother, Shawn Parlett, was with him in Iraq. Here it is 7 years later, and I never get tired of hearing the stories. Shawn is a Baltimore City Police Officer now, and he would rather leave his house in the morning without his vest than without his bracelet with Rel's name on it. It never leaves his wrist, and the memories never leave him behind. My deepest sympathy to Rel's family and friends, and my gratitude for the sacrifice of those men greater than myself. GFBD."
Raymond Rogers of Baltimore, MD

Marcus A. Tynes, Army, Private 1st Class -- Rest In Peace

Marcus A. Tynes, 19

Army, Private 1st Class
Based: Ft. Bragg, N.C.
2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
Supporting: Operation Enduring Freedom
Died: November 22, 2009
Kandahar province, Afghanistan
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Moreno Valley
High School: Valley View High (Moreno Valley)
Burial: Pierce Bros. Crestlawn Memorial Park & Cemetery, Riverside

At 19, Tynes died an Army private first class, killed Nov. 22 when a roadside bomb exploded near his convoy vehicle in southwest Afghanistan's Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. Also killed was the paratrooper riding with him, Army Sgt. James Nolen, 25, of Alvin, Texas, who was on his second tour in Afghanistan. Both were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

In addition to his parents, Bruce and Dana Atlas of Moreno Valley, Tynes is survived by the Atlas siblings, Fallon, 26, Brittney, 20, Johannes, 15, Summer, 4, and Savannah, 2; and his biological father, Marcus Tynes Sr. The family does not use the terms "step" or "half"; they consider themselves one family, his mother said.

Read the whole LA Times story about Army Private 1st Class Marcus A. Tynes here.

So just heard about you today Tynes. I had to look you up on Google just to see for myself. I didnt want it to be true. You were there for me in basic. I remember we kept each other warm under the same hooch on our FTX. Ill be going to combat soon Tynes. I will get them back! You can bet on that. Rest in peace Tynes, you deserve it.
— Private Zackary Wayne Zornes
December 2, 2009 at 5:44 p.m.

Read many more loving comments to and about Private 1st Class Marcus A. Tynes here and find more about Tynes here and here.

An Army carry team lifts a transfer case containing the remains of Army Pfc. Marcus A. Tynes, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

***********************

Army Sergeant James M. Nolen

Dale E. Fracker, Army, Corporal -- Rest In Peace

Dale E. Fracker, 23

Army, Corporal
Based: Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (Light)
Supporting: Operation Enduring Freedom
Died: November 24, 2004
Dihrawud, Afghanistan
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Apple Valley
High School: Apple Valley High (Apple Valley)
Burial: Sunset Hills Memorial Park, Apple Valley, Calif.

As a soldier trained to obey orders, Dale E. Fracker Jr. did something unusually daring.

When he learned that a technicality would prevent him from going with his Army unit to Afghanistan, he threatened to go over his commanding officer's head if the rules weren't bent so he could go too. He won. But that devotion to duty ended up costing him his life.

"I'm very proud of my son's service," said his father, Dale E. Fracker Sr., 50, of Apple Valley. "If a brother-in-arms was under fire, Dale was the type to go right in there and not think about himself."

The 23-year-old corporal was killed Nov. 24 near the town of Deh Rawod, about 250 miles southwest of Kabul, when a homemade bomb exploded near his passing military vehicle. A 25-year-old soldier from St. Louis, Corporal Jacob R. Fleischer, also was killed in the blast.

Read the entire LA Times article about Army Corporal Dale E. Fracker here, read more and find remembrances here.

This Little Light of Mine -- Leontyne Price Interlude

Joseph J. Heredia, Marines, Corporal -- Rest In Peace

Joseph J. Heredia, 22

Marines, Corporal
Based: Camp Pendleton
3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 20, 2004
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany
Married
Gender: Male
Hometown: Santa Maria
High School: Santa Maria High (Santa Maria)
Burial: Santa Maria Cemetery, Santa Maria

In letters, phone calls and e-mails from Iraq, Joseph Heredia went out of his way to shield his family from the hardship and heartbreak of war, even as he took on a second tour of duty that he sensed would be more dangerous.

"He loved the Marine Corps. He knew what his purpose was," said his wife, Natalia Heredia.


The 22-year-old corporal saw himself not only as a protector of his country but also as the guardian of his family's wellbeing. He took care to avoid upsetting loved ones with descriptions of life in a combat zone.

"He didn't want to talk about it," said his wife. "He would always say, 'It's something that can tear your heart apart' -- the situations they were put in and the things they saw. He kept us sheltered from all of that."

Heredia, of Santa Maria, died Nov. 20 of combat wounds he received Nov. 10 in Al Anbar Province, the Department of Defense said.

During his four years in the service, friends, relatives and strangers could tell he was a dedicated Marine. He sprinkled conversations with praise for the Corps and wore his uniform with pride.

Read the entire LA Times article about Marine Corporal Joseph J. Heredia here and visit his Guest Book here.

Corporal Joseph J. Heredia is survived by his wife, Natalia Berumen Heredia; his mother, Monica J. Diaz; brothers, Primitivo "Primo" and Adrian Heredia; and sister, Monika Zendejas, all of Santa Maria, CA. He is also survived by his father, Jose Heredia; sister, Nancy Heredia, both of Fresno, CA; grandparents, Primitivo and Annie Diaz, of Fresno, CA, Vicente and Rita Heredia of Mexico, and David and Delia Singh of Santa Maria, CA; and in-laws, Isaac and Martha Berumen of Santa Maria, CA. Additional family members also include aunts, uncles and cousins in Fresno, CA, and Marine Corps brothers, especially those of 3rd Btn. 5th Marine Div., H & S Company of Camp Pendleton, CA.

Michael J. Idanan, Army, Sergeant -- Rest In Peace

Michael J. Idanan, 21

Army, Sergeant
Based: Ft. Campbell, Ky.
1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 19, 2005
Baiji, Iraq
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Chula Vista

Foreign Country of Birth: Philippines

Burial: Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, Calif.

When he was a teenager, Michael J. Idanan flirted with trouble, and sometimes fell into it. He hung out with a San Francisco-area gang and got expelled from high school for bringing a pair of nunchucks to class in his backpack.

He eventually joined the Army, following the lead of an older cousin. Both young men were trying to turn their lives around.

The cousin, Brian Riley, left the military after a three-year stint and moved to Oklahoma, where he is raising a family and working for a beer company.

Idanan, 21, of Chula Vista, Calif., reenlisted for a second tour. He was killed Nov. 19 when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee in Bayji, Iraq, south of Mosul.

Read the whole LA Times article here, read more about Army Sergeant Michael J. Idanan and find pictures here and here in Sergeant Idanan's Guest Book.

Alejandro Ayala, Air Force, Staff Sergeant -- Rest In Peace

Alejandro Ayala, 26

Air Force, Staff Sergeant
Based: F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.
90th Logistics Readiness Squadron

Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom

Died: November 18, 2007
Kuwait, Kuwait

Married, 2 children

Gender: Male
Hometown: Riverside
High School: Arlington High (Riverside)
Burial: Onslow Memorial Park, Jacksonville, N.C.

The last time Cesar Ayala saw his brother Alejandro was Aug. 14, when they played some pool and shared a late McDonald's lunch near the Camp Virginia military base in Kuwait.

They had only one day together because Cesar Ayala, 22, a sergeant in the Marine Corps, was on his way back home to Riverside after completing his second tour in Iraq.

Alejandro Ayala, 26, a staff sergeant in the Air Force, remained in Kuwait but had said that he planned to take 30 days of leave in April so he and his brother, their families and the rest of the Ayala clan could get together.

While Alejandro was stationed in Kuwait, his wife, Megan, and two children -- Alexandra, 4; and Matthew, 2 -- lived in Wyoming. The 30-day leave would be a chance to bring the children to California.

"My niece really wanted to see the princesses at Disneyland, and my nephew wanted to go to the San Diego Zoo," Cesar Ayala said. "My brother just wanted to spend time together as a family."

Family time was rare for Alejandro Ayala, who over the eight years since he enlisted in the Air Force had been stationed in North Carolina, Wyoming, England and Kurdistan before his tour in Kuwait.

His mother, Ilda, 49, said she had seen him only three times since he graduated from high school in 1999 and went away to boot camp.

But there would not be a fourth reunion. Alejandro Ayala was killed Nov. 18 in a vehicle accident in Kuwait. He was assigned to the 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.

His family was not informed of his death until a few days later, said his twin sister, Liset. "But that whole week, before I knew, my co-workers told me I wasn't myself," she said. "I was crying myself to sleep."

Read the whole LA Times article about Air Force Staff Sergeant Alejandro Ayala here and read more about Sergeant Ayala here.

Vernon R. Widner, Army, Corporal -- Rest In Peace

Vernon R. Widner, 34

Army, Corporal
Based: Ft. Campbell, Ky.
3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 17, 2005
Tikrit (military hospital), Iraq
Married, 5 children
Gender: Male
Hometown: Redlands
Burial: Vista Memory Gardens, Truth or Consequences, N.M.

COOS BAY, Ore. — A soldier whose wife and two children live in Coos Bay died from injuries suffered in Iraq, the Army said.

Spc. Vernon R. Widner, 34, and Pfc. Anthony Alex Gaunky, 19, of Sparta, Wis., both members of the 101st Airborne Division, were in a Humvee that was intentionally struck by a civilian vehicle, according to a news release from Multi-National Forces-Iraq.

The attack closely followed an improvised explosive device detonation on the same route, the release said. Widner died Thursday and Gaunky died Friday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

Read the rest of the article about Army Corporal Vernon R. Widner in Military Times here and find him listed here.

John A. "JT" Lucente, Marines, Lance Corporal -- Rest In Peace

John A. "JT" Lucente, 19

Marines, Lance Corporal
Based: Camp Pendleton
Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 16, 2005
Ubaydi (near Syrian border), Iraq
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Grass Valley
High School: Bear River High (Grass Valley)
Burial: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

Marine Lance Cpl. John Lucente, 19, Grass Valley; Killed by Hand Grenade

There was something sweetly old-fashioned about Marine Lance Cpl. John Lucente, who was among five Marines killed Nov. 16 in combat in Ubaydi, Iraq, an insurgent stronghold near the Syrian border.

The 19-year-old Grass Valley, Calif., resident went to church regularly, enlisted in the Marine Corps in his junior year in high school, held down a summer job as a dishwasher and never failed to tell his family that he loved them.

In his last e-mail home, Lucente asked for prayers for his safety and that of others in Operation Steel Curtain, which was launched earlier this month with 2,500 Marines, soldiers and sailors, as well as 1,000 Iraqi soldiers.

The assault was said to be the first time that battalion-sized Iraqi units have fought alongside U.S. forces in restive Al Anbar province, stretching west almost from Baghdad to the Syrian border. The province is a stronghold of Sunni-led insurgents fighting the American-backed Iraqi government.

In addition to his mother and stepfather, Lucente is survived by two brothers, Cris, 15, and 2-month-old Jake; and a sister Cassie, 9. Jake was given his name by Lucente, his mother said.

Read the entire LA Times article about Marine Lance Corporal John A. "JT" Lucente here, see the Arlington National Cemetery article about Lance Corporal Lucente here and visit his Guest Book here.

Cats Support Our Troops

Cats that blog.
It's a wonderland out there on Blogspot,
clicking that next blog button up top,
finding artistry like this:

Monday Night Requests -- Andy Griggs Interlude -- She Thinks She Needs Me

Here ya go, Janonymous --

TADS -- Touching Another Dude Softly

From Splice Today today.

Matthew J. Holley, Army, Specialist -- Rest In Peace

Matthew J. Holley, 21

Army, Specialist
Based: Ft. Campbell, Ky.
1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 15, 2005
Taji (northwest of Baghdad), Iraq
Engaged
Gender: Male
Hometown: San Diego
Burial: Glen Abbey Memorial Park, Bonita, Calif.
School: Home schooled

Matthew Holley was the son every parent wants: smart, handsome, creative, and filled with purpose. A three-time AAU national karate champion, he was an exceptionally-skilled athlete. He was also a gifted amateur artist. With his talent and his drive, Matthew could have excelled in nearly any profession he chose. He chose to be a Soldier.
When Matthew enlisted in the United States Army in February of 2004, he was following the example of generations of his family. His father and his mother were both Army veterans. Between uncles, cousins, and grandfathers, the Holley family had collectively served more than 150 years in uniform since World War II, and Matthew was ready to do his part. But most importantly, Matthew was excited to be following in his father's footsteps.

The day he graduated from Air Assault School Matthew called home, saying, “I've got my wings, Dad. We can put them with yours.” Matthew put in for assignment to his father's old unit, the 101st Airborne. He got his wish and became a Screaming Eagle, just like his dad before him. He chose his military specialty, Combat Medic, because he wanted to help people, again following the example set by his father, who has been both a paramedic and a professional firefighter.

Please read the entire article about Army Specialist Matthew J. Holley here.
Visit Matthew J. Holley's Guest Book here, read the San Diego Tribune article here, an article about his final trip home here, and visit the Matthew Holley Foundation.

Sunday Night Church -- Vestal Goodman Interlude

Tung M. Nguyen, Army, Sergeant 1st Class -- Rest In Peace

Tung M. Nguyen, 38

Army, Sergeant 1st Class
Based: Ft. Bragg, N.C.
2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: November 14, 2006 Baghdad, Iraq
Married
Gender: Male
Hometown: Tracy
Foreign Country of Birth: Vietnam

From the Los Angeles Times:

After spending five months in Iraq, Tung Nguyen called his mother to let her know that he was finally coming home, in December.

But on Nov. 14, two days after the call, Nguyen was killed when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was 38.

A decorated, 20-year Army veteran, Nguyen was a senior detachment communications sergeant assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

His love for the military began as a youngster in Vietnam.

When he was 11, his mother put Nguyen, her second-oldest son, on a rickety boat with his brother and an aunt to seek a better life in America.

He was 12 when he arrived in California, and lived in Tracy with his American foster parents, Jim and Karen Cracraft.

After he graduated from Tracy High School, he immediately joined the Army.

He became a Special Forces soldier in 1992 and earned the coveted Green Beret when he graduated from the course the following year.

In 2003, he was selected to teach at the Army's John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Ft. Bragg and remained there until he was sent to Iraq this year, his first tour there.

"He lived a very fulfilling life and he died doing what he loved," [his mother] Phan said.


She said that during their last phone conversation, Nguyen "thanked me for letting him go to America."


In addition to his mother, Nguyen is survived by his father, Tuan Nguyen; his wife, Marcia, of Raeford, N.C.; and five brothers.

Read the entire LA Times article about Army Sergeant First Class Tung M. Nguyen here.

Awards and Decorations earned by Army Sergeant First Class Tung M. Nguyen:

Two Meritorious Service Medals,
two Army Commendation Medals,
four Army Achievement Medals,
six Army Good Conduct Medals,
two National Defense Service Medals,
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal,
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,
Armed Forces Reserve Medal,
Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon,
Overseas Ribbon,
Army Service Ribbon,
Parachutist Badge,
Air Assault Badge,
Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge,
and the Special Forces Tab.

He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Iraq Campaign Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge.

You will find mention of Sergeant Tung M. Nguyen at this entry for Vietnamese American Armed Forces Association
here.