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Category Archives: War on Terror

Michael R. Tatham

15 Oct

A decorated Navy SEAL combat veteran who was on leave in Indonesia died Oct. 12 in a motorcycle crash, the Naval Special Warfare Command said late Thursday.

The accident in Bali killed Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Michael R. Tatham, 33, of University Place, Wash., Naval Special Warfare Group 1 said in a news release. Tatham, who enlisted in October 2002, was forward deployed to Afghanistan with a West Coast-based naval special warfare unit at the time. No other details were available about the accident, said Lt. Cmdr. Frank Magallon, a group spokesman.

Tatham “was a dedicated SEAL and a cherished teammate,” Capt. Collin Green, NSWG-1’s commander at Naval Base Coronado, Calif., said in a statement. “He was the epitome of professionalism, and his humble and selfless service to our country made him a role model for all.”

A native of Fayetteville, N.C., Tatham graduated in April 2004 with Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Class 248 after completing SEAL Qualification Training, and he continued advanced training after reporting to his West Coast-based SEAL team.

His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with combat “V,” Joint Service Achievement Medal, four Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medals including one with “V,” two Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, three Sea Service Deployment Ribbons and NATO Service Medal, along with the expert rifle and expert pistol ribbons.

Chief Tatham was the 1,809th American to die supporting the war in Afghanistan.

 
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Posted by on October 15, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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Scott D. Harper

15 Oct


A Marine from Douglas County was killed Thursday in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Lance Cpl. Scott D. Harper, 21, of Winston, died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, military officials said.

Harper was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, in Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Harper was a 2008 graduate of Alexander High School, where he was an outgoing student and active in ROTC, the Douglas County Sentinel reported.

A moment of silence was observed for Harper before the start of Friday night’s football game between Alexander and Chapel Hill high schools, both in Douglas County.

Lance Cpl. Harper was the 1,808th American killed in Afghanistan.

 
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Posted by on October 15, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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Robert B. Cowdrey

15 Oct

The U.S. Department of Defense announced Friday the death of a soldier from Portage County.

SSG Robert B. Cowdrey, 39, of Atwater, Ohio, died Thursday in Afghanistan while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

According to a news release from the DOD, Sgt. Cowdrey passed away from injuries suffered during combat operations.

Cowdrey, a flight medic, deployed four times after joining the U.S. Army in 2003. He served in Iraq from July 2004 to July 2005, before deploying to Afghanistan three separate times until his death.

Military officials said Cowdrey was a decorated war veteran whose awards included the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medals for valor, Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Sgt. Cowdrey was also awarded various humanitarian and service medals and ribbons during his time in the military.

Cowdrey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, in Fort Bragg, N.C.

He is survived by his wife, Kimberly Cowdrey, and three sons, Justin, Charles and Daniel.

SSG Cowdrey was the 1,807th American killed in Afghanistan.

 
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Posted by on October 15, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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Nathan L. Wyrick

13 Oct

The Seattle Times is reporting an Army sergeant from Tacoma died in Afghanistan this week — the second soldier with local ties reported killed in that country since Saturday.

Sgt. Nathan Wyrick, 34, leaves behind a wife and four sons.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. Sgt. Wyrick was a supply specialist who deployed to Afghanistan in March. He’d had two previous deployments to Iraq.

Word of Sgt. Wyrick’s death circulated Tuesday among Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers who knew him from a past assignment and among his fellow worshippers at Lakewood’s New Hope Community Church.

Sgt. Wyrick graduated from Franklin Pierce High School with the class of 1996 and played for the school’s varsity football team, a school spokesman said.

He left a lasting mark on his friends at New Hope church. They remembered him as a generous man who had served in Iraq and looked out for other Army families coping with deployments to the Middle East.

“He was a dad first and foremost, and a soldier second,” said Andrea Wright, 28, of University Place.

Wright learned of Sgt. Wyrick’s death Monday from the soldier’s wife, Rachel Wyrick. They became close friends several years ago when Wright’s husband was assigned to Lewis-McChord.

Another friend said Sgt. Wyrick loved his children so much he had tattoos of their names. He had an affection for other children, too, spending time with Wright’s four sons when her husband served on a deployment overseas.

“He was uncle Nay-Nay,” she said.

The Wyricks moved about a year and a half ago to Fort Drum, N.Y., when Sgt. Wyrick was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division. They’ve visited the South Sound several times since then, friends said.

Dan Livingston, a friend from New Hope Church, admired how Sgt. Wyrick supported his family while serving in the Army. Livingston said Sgt. Wyrick joined the service after first pursuing a career as a civilian electrician.

“He was a real passionate dad who joined the Army to support his family,” Livingston said.

Another friend remembered Sgt. Wyrick as a “gung ho” soldier who never had a bad word to say about others.

“He was proud of the job he did,” said Iona Parker, 60, of Steilacoom. “He did it very well. He wasn’t a shirker and he didn’t bad-mouth anyone.”

The Wyricks stayed with the Parkers just before they moved to New York. Iona Parker said Nathan would spend time in the garage with her husband, talking about military life and “sharing what it means to leave your family and the risks involved.”

“He desperately loved his family,” Parker said.

Sgt. Wyrick is the second soldier with local connections to lose his life in Afghanistan in recent days. Spc. Ricardo Cerros Jr., an Army Ranger from Lewis-McChord, was killed in combat Saturday.

Wyrick is the 1,806th U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan.Material from The Associated Press was included in this report.

 
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Posted by on October 13, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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James B. Wilke

12 Oct

Chief Warrant Officer James B. Wilke, 38, of Ione, died Monday from injuries sustained in a noncombat incident in Doha, Qatar, the Department of Defense said in a statement released Wednesday. He was participating in Operation New Dawn, the mission to stabilize the Iraqi government.

Wilke was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Fort Bliss, Texas.

Wilke is the 33rd service member with ties to this area who has died in the War on Terror. He is survived by his wife and mother. Multiple attempts at contacting Wilke’s wife Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful.

He is the 4,478th U.S. soldier killed in Iraq.

 
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Posted by on October 12, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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Ricardo Cerros Jr.

12 Oct

A Fort Ord native and Salinas resident serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan was killed Saturday during a firefight in Logar Province.

Army Spc. Ricardo Cerros Jr., 24, was mortally wounded by small arms fire as his unit attacked insurgents barricaded in a compound, said Army authorities.

He was a rifleman assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Cerros was born Nov. 2, 1986, at Fort Ord, and graduated from Everett Alvarez High School in Salinas and UC Irvine. He enlisted in the Army in July 2010, completed one-station unit infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga., graduated from the basic airborne course for paratroopers, and joined the 75th Ranger Regiment in March after completing Ranger selection and training.

Army authorities said Cerros was on his first deployment to Afghanistan and noted that the 75th Ranger Regiment has been continuously deployed to Afghanistan since October 2001.

“Spec. Ricardo Cerros was incredibly talented and a well respected member of this battalion,” said Lt. Col. David Hodne, Cerros’ battalion commander.

“He was a warrior who lost his life while fighting courageously alongside his fellow Rangers. We will honor his service to our country and never forget his sacrifice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cerros family.”

Cerros “could have been anything he wanted in life,” said Col. Mark W. Odom, regimental commander.

“Yet, he decided to become a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and do our nation’s bidding. We were blessed to have him in our ranks.”

Cerros is survived by his father Ricardo Cerros Sr. and stepmother Deborah A. Cerros of Salinas, and his mother Maqueirte D. Cuevas of Gary, Ind.; a brother, Nicholas Cerros; a sister, Theresa Cerros, and a stepbrother, Marko Cerros, all of Salinas.

He earned the Army’s parachutist badge, expert rifle marksmanship badge, Combat Infantryman’s Badge and Purple Heart, as well as campaign medals for service in Afghanistan, the Army said. Additional posthumous awards are pending.

Cerros is the 1,805th U.S. casualty in Afghanistan.

 
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Posted by on October 12, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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Drew E. Russell

11 Oct

A 25-year-old Army captain from southwestern Michigan whose boyhood maneuvers with toy soldiers were more like training than play and who was planning a military career was killed along with a comrade from Tennessee when Afghan insurgents attacked their unit with a rocket propelled grenade, his family and the military said.

CPT Drew E. Russell of Scotts and CPT Joshua Lawrence, 29, of Nashville, Tenn., died Saturday after enemy forces attacked their unit in Kandahar province, the Defense Department announced Monday.

Russell’s hometown is in Kalamazoo County, about 10 miles southeast of Kalamazoo.

Russell and Lawrence were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo.

Russell graduated from Vicksburg High School in 2004 and entered Western Michigan University as an ROTC student, graduating in 2008 with a double major in criminal justice and military science, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported.

Jim Russell, 59, said his son planned a military career. He said his son spent long hours as a child arranging units of toy soldiers around the house and staging mock battles. It was more practice than play, the father said.

“I always looked at him and wondered if he was (Gen. George Patton,” the father told The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colo. “Ever since he was a little kid, he was in the Army. That’s what he wanted.”

Russell also had a playful side, his father said. He once broke into a friend’s house while she was on vacation and ripped the labels off of every can of food.

“She spent three or four months guessing what dinner was going to be,” his father said.

Russell’s first overseas deployment was to Afghanistan, starting June 13. He was responsible for U.S. and Afghan soldiers at police stations around Afghanistan, his family said.

“He was a wonderful son,” said mother Patti Russell, 52. “He was very loving and he had a great sense of humor. There’s just an empty hole in my heart that will never be filled again.”

Russell’s remains were flown to Dover, Del., Air Force Base on Monday afternoon.

“Drew won’t even be able to have kids,” Jim Russell said as he choked back tears. “What do you say? He had a good future in front of him.”

Drew Russell is also survived by his brother, James. Funeral plans were not immediately announced.

CPT Russell is the 1,804th U.S. casualty in Afghanistan.

 

 
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Posted by on October 11, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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Joshua S. Lawrence

11 Oct

United States Army Captain Joshua S. Lawrence became the 1,803rd U.S. casualty in Afghanistan on 8 Oct 2011 when he died of wounds sustained in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Kandahar.

He was based with the 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, Colorado.

CPT Lawrence was from Davidson County, Tennessee; he was 29.

As news of his death spread on the Internet, classmate Stacey Shirley Old posted on Facebook, “Please be in prayer for the Lawrence family. Joshua was recently killed in Afghanistan. His mother, Judy found out this morning. He was recently married. He went to Rosebank Elementary and graduated from Hume-Fogg, class of 2000.”

Lawrence majored in Political Science at Austin Peay University.

Lawrence leaves behind a wife, his mother, a brother and a sister. No one was home at the family home in East Nashville Monday night.

Some of Joshua’s fraternity brothers have created a memory page on Facebook. You can find a link to that page here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Memory-of-Joshua-S-Lawrence/257412630969922

Lawrence had received the following awards during his time in the Army: Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Korea Defense Service Medal.

 

 
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Posted by on October 11, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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Benjamin Whetstone Schmidt

07 Oct

A Marine Corps sniper from San Antonio, the son of a former newspaper columnist and the team doctor for the Spurs, died Thursday in Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Benjamin Whetstone Schmidt, 24, who died on the eve of today’s 10th anniversary of the start of the Afghan war, was the son of Becky Whetstone and Dr. David Schmidt, team physician for the Spurs.

Whetstone described her son, who attended Alamo Heights High School, and played football there, as a charismatic, charming young man who hoped to complete his military service in May.

“The sky was the limit for this man. He was special,” said Whetstone, a former advice columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and former wife of U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez.

No official details of his death were available, but Schmidt died from a gunshot wound to the head, his mother said.

He’d done a four-month tour of Afghanistan about two years ago, and started his second deployment in early September.

He was in his fourth year with the Marines, and hoped to start a new life, possibly going into politics, she said. He loved history and also considered becoming a professor of military history.

“At first, he had a passion for the military. But over time, he decided he didn’t like it, and didn’t like the policies of the war,” his mother said. “He had never been interested in politics before, but that changed in Afghanistan.”

Schmidt had fallen in love for the first time with a “beautiful young lady” in California, she said, speaking by phone from her hometown of Little Rock, Ark., where she was surrounded by family members late Thursday.

“We’re all crushed tonight,” Whetstone said. “I’m trying to wrap my head around all of this.”

Besides his parents, Schmidt’s immediate family included a sister, Casey, 21.

His mother said Schmidt, the 21st San Antonian to die serving in Afghanistan since 2001, wanted to be buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

“We talked long about those kinds of things before he left,” she said.

Schmidt was the 1,802nd United States casualty in Afghanistan since we invaded in 2001
 
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Posted by on October 7, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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Musings on the Death of a Terrorist

30 Sep

According to the New York Times, American officials have announced that “a missile fired from an American drone aircraft in Yemen on Friday killed Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical American-born cleric who was a leading figure in Al Qaeda’s affiliate there.”

Of course there have been outcries of how President Obama ignored the Constitutional liberties of an American citizen in ordering Awlaki’s death, and how any American can now be killed by the President if he claims they’re a terrorist, and how hypocritical Democrats are for pointing out the GOTP audience cheering the announcement of 234 people executed, or the cheering of a hypothetical patient allowed to die with no health insurance, but that no one is batting an eye about Awlaki’s death.

Oh please, this is not someone killed based on hearsay, or on bogus intel – like what was used by the Bush/Cheney administration to start the war in Iraq – he is a well documented terrorist thug who has killed Americans and would have continued to do so; and while I agree we should not celebrate anyone’s death, especially when Awlaki’s “reward” will not be what he had hoped for, he is one more threat removed and there will be few tears shed at his passing by me. I feel sorry for him, but not because he was taken out, because of how he chose to waste his life on murder and terror.

He chose to fight against his country and was killed as a combatant in the war he had chosen to conduct – while he may have been born here, by his actions he had shown he was not an American citizen, and had denounced his claim to be such, and his protection under the Constitution – if I was the C-in-C I would not place American soldier’s lives at risk to arrest him, I would have given the same order the President gave in 2009.

 
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Posted by on September 30, 2011 in War on Terror

 

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