Tuesday, August 20, 2013

18 Heroes Who Died July 2 to August 18, 2013

July 2 - Spc. Hilda I. Clayton, 22, of Augusta, Ga., died in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, of a non-combat related incident that occurred in Qaraghahi, Afghanistan. The incident is under investigation.

July 3 - 1st Sgt. Tracy L. Stapley, 44, of Clearfield, Utah, died at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, in a non-combat related incident. The incident is under investigation.

July 4 - Pvt. Errol D.A. Milliard, 18, of Birmingham, Ala., died in Farah province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket propelled grenade while on dismounted patrol.

July 14 - Lance Cpl. Benjamin W. Tuttle, 19, of Gentry, Ark., died at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center following a medical evacuation from the aircraft carrier the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during a scheduled port visit in the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility.  This incident is under investigation.

July 16 - Staff Sgt. Sonny C. Zimmerman, 25, of Waynesfield, Ohio, died in Mushaka, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was attacked by a rocket propelled grenade.

July 22 - Spc. Anthony R. Maddox, 22, of Port Arthur, Texas, died in Landstuhl, Germany, of a non-combat related incident that occurred in Andar, Afghanistan. The incident is under investigation.

July 23 - They died in Soltan Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. Killed were:
- 1st Lt. Jonam Russell, 25, of Cornville, Ariz.,
- Sgt. Stefan M. Smith, 24 of Glennville, Ga., and
- Spc. Rob L. Nichols, 24, of Colorado Springs, Colo.

July 27 - They died in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.  Killed were:
- Sgt. Eric T. Lawson, 30, of Stockbridge, Ga., and
- Spc. Caryn E. Nouv, 29, of Newport News, Va.

July 28 - Sgt. Stephen M. New, 29, of Bartlett, Tenn., died in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by small arms fire in the Sarobi District of Kabul Province, Afghanistan.

July 30 - Spc. Nicholas B. Burley, 22, of Red Bluff, Calif., died in Pul-E-Alam, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire.

Spc. Nick Welch
August 6 - Spc. Nickolas S. Welch, 26, of Mill City, Ore., died in Bethesda, Md., of injuries sustained July 23, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device in Soltan Kheyl, Wardak Province, Afghanistan. From the Statesman-Journal:
Spc. Nick Welch, 26, was critically injured when a suicide bomber rode up to his unit on a donkey and detonated an improvised explosive device July 23 in Soltan Kheyl, Afghanistan. Three members of his unit died immediately in the attack, the defense department said.

Welch was flown to a hospital in Germany where his parents, Lorria and Barry Welch, and his brother, Zack Welch, met him before he was flown to a Bethesda, Md., hospital.

Welch was a 2005 graduate of Santiam High School. His friends and neighbors gathered at the school’s football field to light candles and share stories about Welch’s childhood during a July 25 vigil.

“Being a small school and a small community, we have very tight bonds here. The whole community is mourning his loss,” said Santiam Canyon School District Superintendent Todd Miller. “We’re very proud of his service, but we feel very sorry for him and his family.”

Friends at the vigil described Welch as a funny guy who was prone to playing pranks. They also described him as a star football player and a loyal friend.

Welch enlisted in the U.S. Army about three years ago after he and childhood friend Chris Downey struggled to find work. Downey never joined the military, but Welch enlisted and was sent to Fort Stewart, Ga. He deployed on his first overseas tour about six months ago, Downey said.

Welch was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
August 11 - They died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with indirect fire.  Killed were:
- Staff Sgt. Octavio Herrera, 26, of Caldwell, Idaho,
- Sgt. Jamar A. Hicks, 22, of Little Rock, Ark., and
- Spc. Keith E. Grace Jr., 26, of Baytown, Texas.

August 18 - 1st Lt. Timothy G. Santos Jr., 29, of Helena, Ala., died in Fort Bliss, Texas, from a non-combat related illness diagnosed on March 24, in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

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