It is, quite honestly, impossible to properly honor the lives of our fallen military men and women. No article, poem, picture, or tribute can ever really capture the whole person that each was in life, how important each was to his or her family, friends, community, company. But we try, still, because for all that these brave men and women have given, it is the very least that we can do. Today, especially, it feels inadequate. Our personal sacrifice of a bit of time, a bit of effort, and a trail of tears falls far short of the sacrifice given by our country’s best and brightest.
Yet it is something, a little energy burst into the universe to remind us all that these people mattered, they made a difference, and the world will not be the same without them. Today I ask you to join me in remembering four shining stars, four American heroes who gave their lives in service to our country. Please join me in remembering
Staff Sgt. Eric T. Duckworth, 26, of Plano, Texas
Staff Sgt. Lillian Clamens, 35, of Lawton, Oklahoma
Spc. Samuel F. Pearson, 28, of Westerville, Ohio
Staff Sgt. Donald L. Munn II, 25, of Saint Clairs Shores, Michigan
Staff Sgt. Eric T. Duckworth, 26, of Plano, died Oct. 10 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle, according to a Department of Defense statement.
Very little information about Staff Sgt. Duckworth has been found at this time. From the Plano Courier Star:
Duckworth received numerous awards during his service including the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Kuwaiti Defense Service Medal Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, and the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal-2, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and the Combat Action Badge.
From reader comments following a brief article at gazette.com:
Eric was a great man, soldier and father. Our hearts go out to his family. My wife and I worked with Eric on Carson for several years. He was always professional, yet always had the ability to make us laugh. He will be missed.
The Barraza Family
Eric and his family rented from me down in Fountain before he deployed to Iraq. They were a good family and Eric was a good man. Sonya, our hearts are with you and your family.
Joe P.
I deeply regret that I was unable to find more about this young hero and his family. If you have more information, please include it in comments and I will update this.
UPDATE (thanks to a comment from DKos member gooderservice).
This article provides more information about Staff Sgt. Eric T. Duckworth. Excerpts:
Army Staff Sgt. Eric Duckworth, 26, always wanted to serve his country, she said, and this week he made the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed in action in Iraq.
Barbara and Michael Duckworth, his parents, received news of their son's death Wednesday evening at their Sterling Ridge home. He was scheduled to return from Iraq next month.
"He believed in what he was doing," Michael Duckworth said. "We're very proud of him."
Eric Duckworth was the lead driver in a four-vehicle convoy when it was attacked by an explosive form projectile, Michael Duckworth said. Eric Duckworth was the only fatality.
"I will miss seeing him with his children," Barbara Duckworth said. "He was such a good daddy. He enjoyed the kids so much."
Eric Duckworth's children, Kaylynn, 10; Madison, 4; and Michael, 1, live with their mother, Sonya Duckworth, at Fort Carson in Colorado, where he was stationed.
While attending Clear Lake High School, Eric Duckworth participated in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. He immediately joined the Army following his graduation in 1999.
"As long as I can remember, he wanted to be in law enforcement or the military," Michael Duckworth said.
Eric Duckworth was sent over to Iraq with the first invasion in March 2003, but returned stateside when he sustained a knee injury. He served in Korea and then left in August 2006 for his current tour in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Lillian Clamens, 35, of Lawton, Oklahoma was a wife. She was a mother of three. She was a soldier, a seventeen year veteran. And she was less than a week from returning home safely from her first deployment to a war zone:
On Monday, the couple had exchanged text messages that she had arrived safely from Talil, where she had been stationed with the 1st Postal Platoon, 834th Adjutant General Company, to Camp Victory in Baghdad. The huge and heavily fortified base near the airport serves as U.S. military headquarters in Iraq.
At home, her family -- daughters Victoria, 7, Lana, 8, and Ayinde, 14, Lillian's son from a previous marriage -- were preparing for a Halloween-themed homecoming party.
"My daughters had already bought their costumes," Raymond Clamens said.
In Baghdad, Lillian Clamens was preparing for a flight to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin -- a first stop stateside before a planned return this week to South Florida.
But on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, insurgents fired rockets from a nearby abandoned school, killing Clamens and Army Spc. Samuel Pearson, 28, of Westerville, Ohio.
(source)
The Miami Herald has a slide-show here that just might break your heart.
Also from the Miami Herald:
Raymond Clamens, 33, expressed no anger, no bitterness. He didn't ask why.
He called his wife of 10 years a hero, praising her commitment and sacrifice and talking about the pride she took, as a personnel clerk, in managing the massive administrative demands of the modern military.
Lillian Clamens spent nearly half her life in the Army, but her deployment to Iraq last year was her first duty in a war zone.
"She was ready to go. She never shied away from it," he said. "She really loved taking care of soldiers and their families."
Staff Sgt. Porsha Grant was one of the many soldiers at U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Doral, where Clamens worked as a personnel clerk before her deployment. Clamens had kept in touch with many of the soldiers there.
"It was just devastating to know that one week you're here and the next week you're not," Grant said. "You just never know when it's your time to go."
(source)
Spc. Samuel F. Pearson, 28, of Westerville, Ohio, was a son. He was a brother. He was a football star. He was loved. He was a soldier.
Samuel Pearson may have been nine years gone from Piqua High School, but he was "still one of our guys."
"He was a great kid for us," football coach Bill Nees said Thursday after hearing of Pearson's death in Iraq.
Samuel, 28, was the first of four Pearson brothers to play for Nees. His sister was a cheerleader, his mother the school secretary, his father the team's statistician, Nees said.
"He was a hard worker ... who always put the team before himself, " Nees said.
His parents, Randi and Carolyn Pearson, declined to comment Thursday night.
"It's not the time," Randi Pearson said.
< snip >
Nees gathered the football team together Thursday afternoon to tell them of Pearson's death. "He's still one of our guys, even if he's been out of school for years," Nees said.
The remainder of the season, Piqua players will wear a decal with Pearson's No. 10 on their helmet in his honor.
(Dayton Daily News)
From his Guestbook at Legacy.com, it is apparent that Samuel Person was loved and respected. A small sampling:
I'm so sorry for the loss of your son. I worked with him at Camp Victory. He was so eager to learn and proud of what he was doing. He will forever be part of my and my families lives. It was my honor to serve with such an outstanding soldier.
Seargent Mark Norman, Camp Victory, Iraq
It is so hard to come up with the words to express how deeply saddened my family feels about the loss of Sam. It has been a pleasure to watch all five of the Pearson children develop into such outstanding young people. Sam's leadership as the eldest was and will continue to be an inspiration to his brothers and sister. He touched so many people's lives in such positive ways. Piqua High School, Piqua Athletics, and the community of Piqua have been blessed by Sam's contributions. We keep the Pearson family and friends in our prayers and thoughts.
The Easton Family (Albuquerque, NM)
Staff Sgt. Donald L. Munn II, 25, of Saint Clairs Shores, Michigan was a husband. He was a father. He was a son. He was a brother. He was a soldier.
From freep.com:
Staff Sgt. Donald L. Munn II was stubborn.
"He put everybody else before himself," said longtime Patrick Trueblood of St. Clair Shores.
He said Munn loved his friends, sports and, most of all, his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Jordan, 1.
Department of Defense officials said Munn, 25, of St. Clair Shores died Thursday in Baghdad after an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit.
Munn, a 2000 graduate of Lakeshore High School, joined the Army in 2002.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Munn is survived by his mother, Rae Richards of Bellaire; father, Donald Munn of Las Vegas; sister Courtney Pyles of Wyoming, and grandmother Dorothy Richards of St. Clair Shores.
WSBT.com reports:
The 25-year-old Munn graduated from Lake Shore High School in 2000. He recently married a soldier from California he met while they were stationed in Germany. They had a year-old daughter.
Munn was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion of the 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
Munn's funeral will be held in California, where his wife and daughter live.
More Than Numbers
Iraq Coalition Casualties currently lists 3829 American military casualties, including 6 whose names has not yet been released. That's not a number; it represents 3829 real people who had family, friends, hopes and dreams. They left the comfort and safety of their homes, the companionship of their loved ones, because they believed in service to their country. Forget for a moment the politics of the day, the politics of the Iraq occupation, and think of the grandparents, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends and others whose lives are forever changed.
For More Information:
The DoD news releases are here.
IGTNT, which stands for "I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by blue jersey mom, Chacounne, greenies, joyful, labwitchy, moneysmith, Monkeybiz, noweasels, roses, Sandy on Signal, silvercedes, sistwo, twilight falling, Wee Mama, and me, MsWings.
One More Thing:
There is a new mailing list on Google Groups for Kossacks who are concerned about issues pertaining to our active-duty military personnel and our veterans. Sign up here to receive notices when diaries about these issues are posted to Daily Kos; if you write a diary about one of these issues, please send an announcement to the group (http://groups.google.com/group/kos-military-friends) as well.
In closing,
In comments to one of the articles about Staff Sgt. Eric T. Duckworth, I found this:
Regardless of one's position on the war itself this man laid down his life serving to defend us and we should take a moment from our day to remember his sacrifice. He deserves so much more than just a cursory mention in our news. To all of you that serve, thank you and may you return home safely.
Pondfrogz - Oct 12, 2007 09:30:07 AM
I don't know who Pondfrogz is, but he or she has said very well what I feel so strongly about our fallen heroes and those who serve.