On the day when Americans commemorate their country’s independence—an independence made possible and sustained by generations of Americans who were willing to give everything they had in service to their country—two US soldiers and one US Marine made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country: PFC Justin Casillas, PFC Aaron Fairbairn, and Lance Corporal Charles Seth Sharp.
All three were too young to drink legally. Yet as young as they were, they shared in common a single-minded determination to serve, a tremendous amount of courage, and unflinching loyalty. They deserve our deepest gratitude for their willingness to give everything they had in service to their country.
This diary is a tribute to Justin, Aaron, and Seth. It is in their memory and in their honor.
And yet my heart keeps bleeding for the families, friends, and loved ones for whom July 4 will never again be a day to celebrate—the ones who lost kids who weren’t old enough to drink legally, who had so much potential, who had barely started tasting all the sweetness and joy of life...now "broken branches" in the beautiful, haunting words of the poet Manuchehr Aatashi.
For those left behind, for the three young men we have lost, and for all the "fallen stars" whose names and lives we remember:
Self-Awareness
To the memory of my son, a broken branch
From what numbered alleys
did they come
losing their way toward home
in the hour when we-
trotting the same path-
remember the names of the fallen stars.
In the alley of the wind
you shall reach the storm,
in the alley of sighing
you shall scream and mourn.
In the clear throat of the seashells,
like the sun shining through the garden of water,
blossom the delicate buds of pearls.
When it came that you should not be
I cursed the wind in the alley
and the kite in the wind.
Whom shall I call
each day opening the window
that in past winters
framed your playful commotion?
Whom shall I call
without him coming?
Oh, the hunter of colors,
how many branches are there between us?
How many flowers?
~ Manuchehr Aatashi (in The Literary Review; translated by Ali Zarrin)
The DoD reports:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died July 4 at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked the outpost using small arms and indirect fires. They were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Killed were:
Pfc. Justin A. Casillas, 19, of Dunnigan, Calif.
Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn, 20, of Aberdeen, Wash.
Pfc. Justin A. Casillas, 19
By all accounts, Justin Casillas was everything you’d want your son to be: polite, happy, loving and lovable, hard-working, and determined to succeed.
Justin Casillas was the chivalrous young man who asked his girlfriend's father for permission to date the man's daughter, the high school football player who wouldn't let his smaller frame stop him from tackling bigger boys and the patriotic young man who dreamed of becoming a soldier. (Source: Sacramento Bee)
Justin knew he wanted to serve his country in the military from the time he was a young boy. But this was not, perhaps, very surprising. Justin came from a family dedicated to service. His father, Joe Jr., had served in Vietnam, and his grandfather, Joe Sr., had served in World War II.
So right after Justin graduated from Pierce High School in Arbuckle, Washington in the spring of 2008, he enlisted in the Army. His high school football coach, Roy Perkins, told the Sacramento Bee that "A month before Casillas was deployed overseas, the young man stopped by in his military fatigues to say goodbye to his coaches and teachers. Happy and excited, Casillas was looking forward to his assignment."
Justin was trained to be an infantryman at Fort Benning, Georgia, and then he was assigned in January of this year to Alaska’s Fort Richardson. In March, he was deployed to Afghanistan.
Sadly, I was unable to find much more information about Justin. We know, however, that he died trying to protect others from a suicide bomber. The Anchorage Daily News reported that while Justin was on duty at Combat Outpost Zerok in the Paktika Provence in eastern Afghanistan, an insurgent drove a truck that was filled with explosives and shrapnel toward the gates of the outpost. "They were trying to get it to stop and it wouldn't," Army spokesman Chuck Canterbury said. "It kept on coming so they opened fire on it and it blew up." Justin died as a result of injuries sustained in the explosion.
His family and friends are trying to come to terms with the magnitude of their loss while not forgetting to celebrate his life. It’s a hard, hard balance.
"It's a big loss," [his football coach, Roy] Perkins said. "Justin was doing something of incredible importance. He was doing something that not many teenagers are going to volunteer to do." (Source: Sacramento Bee)
"I don't know how to explain this ... but I'm proud of him, and I want to celebrate him," [his father,] Joe Jr. said. "We talked a little bit about this, before he went over ... he wanted to do his part." (Source: The Daily Democrat)
Justin is survived by his parents, Joe and Donna Casillas, his younger sister, and his grandfather, Joe Casillas Sr.
Rest in peace, Justin Casillas. May your brave and loyal spirit soar free and be at peace forever, and may your memory be a blessing to those who love you and to all of us for whom you so willingly gave everything you had.
Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn, 20
Let’s let Aaron introduce himself:
Hey my name is Aaron Faibairn, I am 20 and in the army. I like to ride dirtbikes, go muddin and all of that kind of stuff. One of my favorite things to do is work on my truck when I break it. I have a yamaha yz 125 I haven't got to ride it much because of work but i plan to go race it sometime. (Source: Aaron’s MySpace page)
And that was Aaron. He was a nice guy—a "good kid," "joyous, honorable, and dependable," approaching life with an adventurous spirit and a real joie de vivre. And he wasn't exaggerating about his love for bikes and all things automotive. His stepfather, David Masters, told The Seattle Times, "He was just glad to be over there making a few extra bucks so he could pay off his truck." Aaron hadn’t quite decided what he wanted to do with his life when he finished serving his country in September, but apparently, he was leaning towards becoming a mechanic and, from the reports, he probably would have done it very well and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Independence Day was always a particularly special day for Aaron and his family. Until Aaron enlisted in the Army, the whole family gathered every year in Oregon for July 4 without fail. They didn’t get together this year, but his family believed that Aaron would be spending the holiday in relative safety. His stepfather told The Jerusalem Post that Aaron had just told them that he never left his base, and that he was spending his spare time playing video games, watching TV and the "Heroes" DVDs his family had sent him, and working out. So although the family get-together didn’t happen, his loved ones expected to have a good July 4, thinking that Aaron was safe and as out of harm’s way as possible.
The morning of Independence Day, the dreaded knock at the door came.
Then, on Saturday, Fourth of July morning, an Army chaplain and soldier showed up at their Aberdeen house and told him Pvt. Aaron Fairbairn, 21, had been fatally injured in a truck bombing. [Justin Casillas was killed in the same incident.]
<snip>
"If there's any day when you're going to make that kind of sacrifice ... " [Aaron’s stepfather, David] Masters said, his voice tearfully trailing away. Finally, he said: "I realize Aaron's just one guy coming home not sitting in a seat. Lots of other guys have made that same sacrifice."
Instead of celebrating Independence Day, Aaron's family spent this July 4 traveling to Dover Air Force Base to await his final arrival home.
In his grief, David Masters asked friends and family members to honor Aaron by remembering him on Twitter. On Saturday night, "#thankyouaaron" was the most-used term on the site as Aaron's large network of family and friends expressed their grief and love for him.
Aaron is survived by his mother and stepfather, David and Shelley Masters; his five (step-)brothers and (step-)sisters; and his many friends.
Rest in peace, Aaron Fairbairn. May your brave and loyal spirit soar free and be at peace forever, and may your memory be a blessing to those who love you and to all of us for whom you so willingly gave everything you had.
Lance Corporal Charles S. Sharp, 20
The DoD reports:
Lance Cpl. Charles S. Sharp, 20, of Adairsville, Ga., died July 2 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Seth Sharp was about as determined and dedicated a young man as you’ll find anywhere, and he knew what he wanted to in life: he wanted to help others to the very best of his ability. He always knew how he wanted to do it. His father, Rick Sharp, told MyFox Atlanta that Seth had dreamed of serving his country as a Marine since he was just three or four years old, and he never wavered. At the age of 17, he decided he did not want to wait any longer, and he asked his father for permission to leave school and join the Marines.
Rick Sharp said his son “always thought about others before himself.”
“We talked about it and talked about it and then I prayed about it,” he said of giving his son permission to join the Marines at age 17. “I always want to support my kids, and I knew he’d join when he turned 18 if I didn’t sign for him. But I asked him, ‘Why the Marine Corps?’ He said, ‘Because it’s the toughest, and I want to see if I can make it.’ He told me he wanted to fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves.”
(Source: The Daily Citizen)
And so, in September 2006, Seth joined the Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in June 2007, deployed to Iraq in October 2007, and returned home safely in May 2008. (Source: Jacksonville Daily News)
Seth fell in love with Katie McMahan and asked her to marry him. They had not yet set a date for the wedding, but they were already making plans for their life together. Seth anticipated enrolling in college when he completed his service as a Marine in 2010. They had so much hope for a bright, happy future together.
In the meantime, the Taliban was amassing fighters in Afghanistan. Seth was deployed there six weeks ago as part of a 4000-person buildup of US troops to counter the threat. The Marines had already recognized the natural talent and leadership of this young man, and they assigned him to an "elite group of Marines, chosen to go into southern Afghanistan Thursday to try and clear out the Taliban." (Source: MyFox Atlanta) Seth’s team came under heavy fire during an operation on July 2. Later that day, his family got the news. They are still reeling.
“[Financeé Katie is] taking it rough,” said Rick Sharp. “She won’t eat, but she’s trying to talk a little bit. We know they truly loved each other, and we knew that when Seth was with her he was OK.” (Source: The Daily Citizen)
"We hope nobody has to have that visit that we had Thursday afternoon, because you just don't know how to feel. You know, sometimes you think you can just wake up from a bad dream," said stepmother Tiffany Sharp. (Source: MyFox Atlanta)
"That's my prayer for any family out there. If you have children, enjoy every moment you have with them because I never thought it would happen here," said Seth's father. (Source: MyFox Atlanta)
But in their grief, Seth’s family and friends also feel intense pride for this special young man they were so privileged to know.
Rick Sharp thinks his son — U.S. Marine and former Dalton resident Charles Seth Sharp — is looking down from heaven wondering what all the fuss is about.
“He never bragged, but his actions spoke for themselves,” Rick Sharp said. “I think he’s looking down now and seeing how many lives he touched. He made the ultimate sacrifice.”
(Source: The Daily Citizen)
Seth is survived by his mother, Angie Sharp; his father and stepmother, Rick and Tiffany Sharp; and his fiancée, Katie McMahan.
Rest in peace, Seth Sharp. May your brave and loyal spirit soar free and be at peace forever, and may your memory be a blessing to those who love you and to all of us for whom you so willingly gave everything you had.
According to icasualties.org, 725 US service members have fallen in Afghanistan, and 4,321 have perished in Iraq.
About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT)
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
The series was begun by i dunno and is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, mediaprof, and rb137. If you would like to participate in writing these tributes, please contact monkeybiz.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.