The moon goes full at around midnight tonight, I spent the day in the joy that is candle-making. And now, for the sorrow that falls to seemingly equal or even exceed every pleasure….the list of names released since the last moon phase post.
Spc. William L. McMillan III, 22, of Lexington, Ky. Army - Iraq - IED
Sgt. Douglas J. Bull, 29, of Wilkes Barre, Pa. - Army - Afghanistan - IED
Sgt. 1st Class Steven J. Chevalier, 35, of Flint, Mich., - Army - Iraq - grenade
And the long suffering wait and flagging hopes of two families of Army men in Iraq are finally, sadly answered:
On July 10, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner positively identified human remains recovered in Iraq July 9 to be those of two soldiers who had been previously listed as “Missing-Captured.”
Killed were:
Sgt. Alex R. Jimenez, 25 at the time of his capture, of Lawrence, Mass.
Pfc. Byron J. Fouty, 19 at the time of his capture, of Waterford, Mich.
Not on the DOD list at all, since it has been five years since he was in Iraq.
But, all the same, Army medic Spc. Joseph Patrick Dwyer, who was in a famed photo of him racing across a battlefield carrying a little Iraqi boy to safety, died of invisible wounds received there.
On June 28, he died of an overdose in his home, after struggling with PTSD since his return home. Rest in peace, Joseph. I can’t find all the men and women who die after the fact; most don’t make the news.
Spc. Brian S. Leon Guerrero, 34, of Hagatna, Guam. - Army - Afghanistan - IED
Spc. Samson A. Mora, 28, of Dededo, Guam. Army - Afghanistan -IED
Master Sgt. Mitchell W. Young, 39, of Jonesboro, Ga - Army - Afghanistan - IED
The battle in Afghanistan that claimed nine American lives and wounded still more…well, the names are released. These are the Army men who died there, of weapons fire, RPG attack and whatever else gets used in battle there.
1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom, 24, of Hawaii.
Sgt. Israel Garcia, 24, of Long Beach, Calif.
Cpl. Jonathan R. Ayers, 24, of Snellville, Ga.
Cpl. Jason M. Bogar, 25, of Seattle, Wash.
Cpl. Jason D. Hovater, 24, of Clinton, Tenn.
Cpl. Matthew B. Phillips, 27, of Jasper, Ga.
Cpl. Pruitt A. Rainey, 22, of Haw River, N.C.
Cpl. Gunnar W. Zwilling, 20, of Florissant, Mo.
Pfc. Sergio S. Abad, 21, of Morganfield, Ky.
Staff Sgt. Jeremy D. Vrooman, 28, of Sioux Falls, S.D. - Army - Iraq - IED
Staff Sgt. David W. Textor, 27, of Roanoke, Va. - Army - Iraq - vehicular accident
Lance Cpl. Jeffery S. Stevenson, 20, of Newton, N.J., Marine - Afghanistan - non-hostile incident
As always, my heart-felt sympathy to all the friends and family of these fallen. My anger that they are gone, and we are all deprived of the pleasure of their company, forevermore.
