Cody R. Legg, Army, Sergeant -- Rest In Peace

Cody R. Legg, 23

Army, Sergeant
Based: Ft. Drum, N.Y.

1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)

Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom

Died: June 4, 2008

Tikrit, Iraq

Single

Gender: Male

Hometown: Escondido

High School: San Pasqual High (Escondido)

Burial: Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego

His joy of life, his smile, could light up a room. He just had a zest for life that was contagious.

— Bunnie Jacquay, mother

When it came time to play, Cody Legg had only one game: army.

His mother, Bunnie Jacquay, recalled: "All the kids in the neighborhood would say, 'What do you want to do, Cody?' He'd say, 'Let's play army!' And they'd say, 'Again?' "

Legg was born in Escondido and spent his childhood climbing trees, playing flashlight tag and planning missions. Camouflage and face paint became a uniform he rarely took off. It was no surprise when he enlisted in the Army in his senior year at San Pasqual High School in Escondido.

"Literally, you could find him and walk by him, and he was always in that mode: wanting to be an Army guy," said his father, Dave Legg.

But in April, while home on leave from his second tour in Iraq, Cody Legg spoke hopefully of his post-service plans: to become a firefighter or emergency medical technician, buy a house and start a future with his girlfriend.

On June 4, barely two months later, Army Staff Sgt. Cody Legg, 23, died of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked in Sharqat, about 50 miles from Mosul, Iraq, by forces using small-arms fire and hand grenades.

Legg had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y. He was one of three soldiers killed in the attack.
...
Also killed were Sgt. Shane P. Duffy and Spc. Jonathan D. A. Emard.
...
Legg had been trying to save two soldiers in his unit. Jacquay recounted how Army officials described Legg's efforts to her: "He yelled, 'Man down! Man down! I'm going in,' and just took off to try to get them out of harm's way."
...

Jacquay said her son loved simple pleasures.

"The first thing he said when he came home in April on leave was, 'I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a hot shower,' " she said, laughing. "He was a real down-to-earth guy."

Legg was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. In addition to his parents, he is survived by a large extended family: two half-brothers, D.C. and Derek Legg; two stepbrothers; a stepfather; and a stepmother.

Read the entire LA Times story about Army Sergeant Cody R. Legg here. Visit Sergeant Cody R. Legg's Guest Book.

Cody Legg with his mom at Disneyland, 1988

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Army Sergeant Shane P. Duffy -- Rest In Peace

Army Specialist Jonathan D. A. Emard -- Rest In Peace

Army Sergeant Cody R. Legg previously remembered at Boom3.

Clayton G. Dunn, Army, Sergeant -- Rest In Peace

Clayton G. Dunn II, 22

Army, Sergeant
Based: Ft. Bragg, N.C.
2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom

Died: May 26, 2007

Salahuddin, Iraq

Married, 1 child

Gender: Male

Hometown: Moreno Valley
High School: Rialto High (Rialto)

Army Sgt. Clayton G. Dunn II grew up knowing he wanted to be a soldier.

The Moreno Valley native, who was killed May 26 in Iraq, was a second-generation soldier whose father, Roy, served in the Army for 22 years.

"He was brought up that way," said Dunn's wife, Haidy. "Ever since he was little, he would play in his dad's boots and helmet."

That helmet became a part of a memorial, with a white cross, flags and flowers, erected on the lawn of his parents' home.

Dunn, 22, was among three paratroopers who died when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Salahuddin province, north of Baghdad.

Also killed were Spc. Michael J. Jaurigue, 20, of Texas City, Texas, and Spc. Gregory N. Millard, 22, of San Diego.

Dunn deployed to Iraq in August, when his wife was pregnant. The couple would debate baby names during twice-weekly long-distance phone calls.


"One day he just called me on the phone saying, 'I have the name; you can stop searching,' " his wife said. The name was Grace.

Dunn first held his daughter, now 3 months old, during a visit home in April.

"He had a big old smile on his face and he didn't know how to carry her," his wife recalled. "He was carrying her like a football.

"He would say, 'We're not going to spoil her.' And I'd tell him, 'You know she's going to be daddy's little girl.' "


In addition to his wife and daughter, Dunn is survived by his parents, Roy and Aminta Dunn; and a brother, Roy Dunn Jr.

Read the entire LA Times article about Army Sergeant Clayton G. Dunn here.

Find more at Military Times and LA IndyMedia.

Find messages, memories and pictures of Sergeant Clayton G. Dunn in his Guest Book.

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Michael J. Jaurigue -- Rest In Peace

Gregory N. Millard -- Rest In Peace

Jay-D H. Ornsby-Adkins, Army, Private 1st Class -- Rest In Peace

Jay-D H. Ornsby-Adkins, 21

Army, Private 1st Class
Based: Ft. Benning, Ga.
1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: April 28, 2007
Salman Pak, Iraq
Married
Gender: Male
Hometown: Ione
High School: Independence Continuation High School (Jackson)
Foreign Country of Birth: Australia
Burial: Sunset View Cemetery, Jackson, Calif.

December was a month of milestones for Jay-D OrnsbyAdkins, a young man with a wrestler's grit and a flashy grin. He graduated from boot camp at Ft. Knox, Ky., turned 21 and married his high school sweetheart, Ashley.

The couple spent their honeymoon driving from their home in California's Gold Country to Ft. Benning, Ga., stopping at museums and a crocodile farm, and celebrating New Year's Eve at an Applebee's in a dry Louisiana county.

Along the way, they talked about starting a family and "basically, living a happy life with our kids," said Ashley OrnsbyAdkins, 20.

That dream will remain unfulfilled.

The Army private first class was among three soldiers killed April 28 when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee and they were attacked with small-arms fire in Salman Pak, Iraq, south of Baghdad.

Also killed were Sgt. Glenn D. Hicks Jr., 24, of College Station, Texas, and Pvt. Cole E. Spencer, 21, of Gays, Ill.

News of Ornsby-Adkins' death spread quickly through Ione, Calif., the small Amador County community 34 miles southeast of Sacramento where he had lived for the last 14 years. Within hours, townspeople had dropped off hundreds of bouquets, cards and photographs in front of the popular Robyn's Nest hair salon on West Main Street, owned by his mother, Robyn Ornsby.

More than 600 mourners attended his funeral May 9 at the Church of the Nazarene in Sutter Creek. His coffin was draped in an American flag, but an Australian flag also was on display because he was born in Perth. He moved to the United States with his mother when he was 5.


Robyn Ornsby is proud of the medals and badges her son earned in his short Army career: a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and an expert badge in pistol shooting. But after the funeral service, she put them away, preferring to remember her son by the many good times they had.


"I raised him on my own, and I think our whole life was special together," she said.


In addition to his wife and mother, Ornsby-Adkins is survived by his father, Shad Adkins of Australia; a stepsister; four grandparents, also in Australia; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Read the entire LA Times article about Army Private 1st Class Jay-D H. Ornsby-Adkins here. 

Find more at Military Times, 

and at Hugs for Soldiers. 

Visit Private Ornsby-Adkins' Guest Book.

December 09, 2010

Happy 25th Birthday Dear Jay-D!! I made you a cake with chocolate sauce and shared it with your Dad, Sandy, Todd, Matt and Grandpa Dick! Love you Forever Grandma

~ Grandma Adkins, Perth

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Sgt. Glenn D. Hicks Jr. -- Rest In Peace

Pvt. Cole E. Spencer -- Rest In Peace

Salem Bachar, Marines, Corporal -- Rest In Peace

Salem Bachar, 20

Marines, Corporal
Based: Camp Pendleton
Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: April 13, 2006
Karmah, Iraq
Married
Gender: Male
Hometown: Chula Vista
High School: Chula Vista Senior High (Chula Vista)
Burial: Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier

From Chula Vista:

Salem Bachar was born in Chula Vista on 24 June 1985. Salem was active in sports while attending Chula Vista High School, particularly in wrestling and tennis. He was also on the track team and played several musical instruments, and enjoyed magic. He graduated in 2003 and a few months later, on October 14th, joined the U.S. Marine Corps.
He joined the United States Marine Corps in the fall of 2003, went to Defense Language school studying Arabic, and became a translator and intelligence analyst for the Marine Corps. In addition to English and Arabic, he also spoke Spanish. 

Corporal Salem Bachar, USMC of Chula Vista was killed due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq on April 13 along with Cpl Stephen J. Perez, aged 22.  

A memorial was held at Camp Fallajujah on 17 April, 2006. Cpl. Salem Bachar died April 12 as a result of enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province.

He served as an intelligence analyst and Arabic translator during his second deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  

Approximately 200 Marines, sailors and soldiers attended the memorial service at Camp Fallujah’s Chapel of Hope. Before the service, many lined up to hand-write messages to Bachar.
“Cpl. Bachar, you always had a smile and a joke even at the worst of times,” one message read. “It was an honor to know you and I cherish the time we had.” 

Bachar’s death was especially hard and unexpected for the Marines and sailors who worked closely with him.
“He chose to make a difference with his life, first by becoming a Marine, second by putting himself in danger, and finally by becoming a memory to those that knew him,”

said Cpl. Adam G. Wanjon, a friend of Bachar and fellow intelligence analyst. “I willingly carry the memory of him in my heart until the day we meet again.”
Col. Peter H. Devlin, assistant chief of staff for Bachar’s battalion, never expected to lose one of his intelligence Marines.
“Today is very difficult for me,” said Devlin. “He was an absolute pleasure to work with, and it was an honor to get to know him and to serve with him.” 

He is survived by his wife, Kristine, his parents, Fouad and Martha, and two twin sisters of Fontana, CA. He was buried at Rosehill Memorial Park at Whittier, CA on 22 April, 2006.
He was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Sea Service deployment Ribbon. [See Corporal Bachar's ribbons here.]

Find more about Marine Corporal Salem Bachar at Iraq Page, at Fallen Heroes, at the 

Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in Military and at 

Freedom Remembered. 

Visit Corporal Bachar's Guest Book.

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 Lance Cpl. Stephen J. Perez

Rest In Peace

Felipe de Jesus Sandoval-Flores, Marines, Lance Corporal -- Rest In Peace

Felipe de Jesus Sandoval-Flores , 20

Marines, Lance Corporal
Based: Camp Pendleton
1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: April 2, 2006
Al Asad (near), Iraq
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Los Angeles
High School: Locke High (Los Angeles)
Foreign Country of Birth: Mexico
Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City

"The single and most prevalent fear of most men is death," he wrote for his high school English class just months before he graduated.

His essay, somber and filled with references to Scripture, underscored Sandoval-Flores' recognition, even as a teenager, that, as he wrote, "Tomorrow is never promised."

The essay ends with this: "Death scares me, but it is coming, ready or not...."

Looking back, his sister said she believes the serious conversations that she and her younger brother often had were meant to prepare her and the rest of the family for the worst.


A devout Catholic, Sandoval-Flores may have been prepared for death, but he also embraced life, family and friends said.


"Felipe was always a giving kind of person, a good heart," said another longtime friend, Raoul Gonzalez, 22.


Whether it was letting friends win at video games, counseling young parishioners on the Catholic rite of confirmation or helping out the homeless, Sandoval-Flores savored every day, Gonzalez said.


Once, Gonzalez remembered, the two were out distributing food, clothes and hot chocolate to the poor when Sandoval-Flores spotted a boy about 9 or 10 years old in line with the others.


"Felipe had this new sweater, not even 2 weeks old, and when he saw this young kid, he didn't hesitate, he took off his sweater and gave it to him," Gonzalez said.

At his funeral, more than 200 family members and friends watched Sandoval-Flores' body carried to his grave at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City by a white carriage drawn by two white horses.

"Words cannot explain how much we miss him," his parents wrote in a letter to The Times. "We are proud as [his] parents because, despite being poor, we were able to raise a good young man with a big heart who loved and respected his fellow human beings."

In a separate letter, his younger sister, Michelle, wrote: "April 2, 2006, I recognized true sorrow; my brother was not coming home."

But through the pain, she wrote, "I am glad Felipe is no longer living in that hell called war."

Do read the entire LA Times article about Marine Lance Corporal Felipe de Jesus Sandoval-Flores.
Find messages and remembrances at
Fallen Heroes and in Lance Corporal Sandoval-Flores' Guest Book.



Vicky Huynh grieves as she looks at a memorial for her fiance Lance Cpl. Felipe D. Sandoval-Flores (sp right) and other fallen serviceman and women from the 1st. Marine Logistics Group Forward during a memorial Service held Friday on Camp Pendleton. Vicky's fiancee, gave his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom.



Killed with Lance Cpl. Felipe D. Sandoval-Flores were:

Cpl. David Bass of Davidson, Tenn.

Lance Cpl. Patrick Gallagher of Duval, Fla.

Cpl. Brian St. Germain of Kent, Rhode Island

Staff Sgt. Abraham Twitchell of Yelm, Wash.

Cpl. Andres Aguilar Jr. of Victoria, Texas

Jose Angel Garibay, Marines, Corporal -- Rest In Peace

Jose Angel Garibay, 21

Marines, Corporal
Based: Camp Lejeune, N.C.
1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, II Marine Expeditionary Brigade
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: March 23, 2003
Nasiriya, Iraq
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Costa Mesa
High School: Newport Harbor High (Newport Beach)
Foreign Country of Birth: Mexico
Burial: Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside

I went to High School with Jose. We joined the Marines together and were in the same platoon in boot camp.

I remember 2 months into boot camp, he walked over to me one evening during the 20 minutes of liberty time we were given and he said, "How are you doing Harry?" I hadn't heard my first name said to me in over two months and it stunned me. He brought me back down to Earth and reminded me of the world that existed outside of that rather unpleasant, at the time, situation we were both in.

He was an incredible friend and a truly dedicated Marine.

— Harry Agdayan
November 12, 2010 at 7:58 p.m.

Three men in uniform knocked on Simona Garibay's door in Costa Mesa early Monday, walking past U.S. and Mexican flags proudly planted in her front lawn.


At first she was mystified that these strangers were asking for her by name.


"I didn't know who they were," she said, too upset to say much more. "Then they told me the horrible news."


Her 21-year-old son, Marine Cpl. Jose Angel Garibay, had been killed in combat in Iraq, the Marines told family members. Late Monday, the Department of Defense confirmed that Garibay was one of seven Marines killed in action Sunday near Nasiriyah, Iraq, in some of the heaviest fighting of the war to date. 

Also killed were Cpl. Jorge A. Gonzalez, 20, of Los Angeles
Sgt. Michael E. Bitz, 31, of Ventura
Lance Cpl. David K. Fribley, 26, of Lee, Fla.
Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Jordan, 42, of Brazoria, Texas
2nd Lt. Frederick E. Pokorney Jr., 31, of Nye, Nev.
Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Slocum, 22, of Adams, Colo.

Garibay, a stocky former football player from Newport Harbor High School, joined the Marines three years ago, right after graduation, handling missiles and mortars for a weapons platoon. He was shipped out to the Middle East three months ago.

The Marine, whose family moved to the United States from Jalisco, Mexico, when he was a baby, is the first Orange County serviceman to be killed in combat.

He wrote to this mother often and sent money home almost every month, family members said. In his last letter, which arrived from Kuwait on March 11, he asked for a package of his favorite Mexican candies and a CD of popular ranchera singer Vicente Fernandez.

Do read the entire LA Times article about Marine Corporal Jose Angel Garibay here,
find more at Wall Dads,
Fallen Heroes and the Orange County Register.

Also remembered here today is Marine Corporal Randal Kent Rosacker.

We are freedom's answer to fear. We do not bargain with terror. We stalk it, corner it, take aim and kill it.

— Jose Angel Garibay, in final letter to his girlfriend

Chad Gonsalves, Army, Sergeant 1st Class -- Rest In Peace

Chad Gonsalves, 31

Army, Sergeant 1st Class
Based: Ft. Bragg, N.C.
3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group
Supporting: Operation Enduring Freedom
Died: February 13, 2006
Dihrawud, Afghanistan
Married, 3 children
Gender: Male
Hometown: Turlock
Burial: Turlock Memorial Park, Turlock, Calif.

"I knew from the day I brought him home and rocked him -- I knew he was destined for the military," Marsha Gonsalves said of her elder son.

She was right. As a boy growing up in the Central Valley city of Turlock, Calif., Chad Gonsalves outfitted himself as a fantasy soldier in camouflage fatigues. As a young man who became a member of the Army's elite Special Forces, he wore the group's fabled green beret.

"That was his calling. He was just military all the way. He absolutely loved it," his mother said. "I guess if he had to die, that was the way to go."

Gonsalves, 31, a weapons sergeant first class assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C., was on patrol with Afghan troops Feb. 13 in the volatile Dihrawud district of Afghanistan's Oruzgan province when his armored Humvee struck a roadside bomb, according to military officials and news reports. Gonsalves and three other U.S. soldiers were killed.

Also killed were Staff Sgt. Edwin H. Dazachacon; Staff Sgt. Clinton T. Newman and Sgt. Alberto D. Montrond.

Do read the entire LA Times article about Army Sergeant 1st Class Chad Gonsalves here, find pictures and story here and more at Military Times and visit Sergeant Gonsalves' Guest Book.


Brig. Gen. John F. Mulholland Jr. presents a U.S. flag to Marsha Gonsalves, who is holding her grandson Blake. Chad's brother Joshua and his father, Larry, are beside her.



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Sergeant Allberto D. Montrond

Staff Sergeant Edwin h. Dazachacon

Sergeant Clinton Thomas Newman

Colton Rusk and Eli

Fallen Marine's bomb-sniffing dog now is with his family

Eli tried to protect Pfc Colton Rusk during clash with Afghan Religion of Peace adherents barbarians.

Read the story at My San Antonio.

Robbie M. Mariano, Army, Private -- Rest In Peace

Robbie M. Mariano, 21

Army, Private

Based: Ft. Hood, Texas

3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division

Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom

Died: January 5, 2006

Najaf, Iraq

Single

Gender: Male

Hometown: Stockton
High School: Stagg Senior High (Stockton)

The 21-year-old from Stockton was among five soldiers killed Jan. 5 when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee in Najaf, south of Baghdad, according to the Defense Department.

Also killed were Maj. William F. Hecker III, 37, of St. Louis; Sgt. Johnny J. Peralez Jr. , 25, of Kingsville, Texas; Capt. Christopher P. Petty, 33, of Vienna, Va.; and Sgt. 1st Class Stephen J. White, 39, of Talladega, Ala.

All were assigned to the Army's 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Mariano's father, Bob, said his son joined the Army in November 2004, shortly after graduating from Stagg High School, and soon found a second family among his fellow soldiers.

"He was always upbeat about the war and believed in what he was doing over there," said the elder Mariano, a Stockton police sergeant. "The Army was his new family. I talked to him about 10 hours before he died. He said he was doing fine."

Bob Mariano said his son had planned to leave the service in 2008, attend college on the GI Bill and possibly follow in his father's footsteps with a career in law enforcement.

In addition to his parents, Robbie Mariano is survived by a 19-year-old brother, Bobby.

Read the entire store about Army Private Robbie M. Mariano here and find more here,  visit Private Mariano's Guest Book, and listen to an NPR story here.

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)

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Army Sergeant James M. Nolen

Kyle R. Warren, Army Staff Sergeant -- Rest In Peace

Kyle R. Warren, 28

Army, Staff Sergeant
Based: Ft. Bragg, N.C.
1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Supporting: Operation Enduring Freedom
Died: July 29, 2010
Tsagay, Afghanistan
Married
Gender: Male
Hometown: Manchester
High School: Marina High (Huntington Beach)

“He was a hero to this country,’’ Warren’s stepfather, Ed Linta, said yesterday.
And he had a way of putting people at ease, his family said. “He was very friendly, very kind,’’ Linta said. “He made it a point to spend time with everybody in his family before he deployed.’’

We are all devastated by his death and we know he was a true hero
— Nancy Cowden, aunt

Warren was killed when a roadside bomb hit his military vehicle in Tsagay, Afghanistan, according to military officials. His hometown was listed by the military as Manchester, N.H. but he grew up in Huntington Beach, where he attended high school. Family members said he moved to New Hampshire with his mother after graduation. His father, Del Warren, lives in Long Beach.


Read more about Staff Sergeant Kyle R. Warren here, here and here.

Warren was patrolling an area of Tsagay, Afghanistan, on when his military vehicle hit an improvised explosive device, killing him and another soldier, Captain Jason E. Holbrook, 28, of Burnet, Texas.