These hearts were woven of human joys and cares,
Washed marvellously with sorrow, swift to mirth.
The years had given them kindness. Dawn was theirs,
And sunset, and the colours of the earth.
These had seen movement, and heard music; known
Slumber and waking; loved; gone proudly friended;
Felt the quick stir of wonder; sat alone;
Touched flowers and furs and cheeks. All this is ended.
~ Rupert Brooke, The War Sonnets
Tonight we remember the lives and sacrifice of three young Americans who were killed in Afghanistan. May we pause here for a moment, in silence, and pay tribute to all who have lost their lives in war. For each, all this is ended.
Lance Cpl. Patrick Xavier Jr., 24, of Pembroke Pines, Florida
Lance Cpl. Xavier died May 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
"He was a true person, honest, very dedicated."
Lance Cpl. Patrick Xavier Jr. spoke to his mother Tuesday morning before leaving for the day's military assignment, something he often did while serving in Afghanistan.
"He wanted to talk to his family before" he went, his father, Patrick Xavier-Kemp, said Friday.
Hours later, the 24-year-old Marine was killed in a firefight in the Helmand province in southwest Afghanistan.
(snip)
(Patrick) had a "a child's smile, a smile that you can read his heart through," his father said. "He was a true person, honest, very dedicated."
(snip)
He was a private person, with many of his close friends also in the military, his father said.
(snip)
He had a dream of going to medical school.
A son of Haitian immigrants, Xavier was born in Queens, N.Y. His father and mother moved to South Florida more than a decade ago. He graduated from Miramar High School in 2003 and tried a couple of jobs, looking to find his way.
His drive to "make a difference" led him to the Marines, his father said.
Within months of joining, he was advanced to the rank of lance corporal, his father said.
(snip)
"He had no fear. He was a fierce fighter, a warrior at heart," he said. "I'm very proud he gave for the country he loved."
Source ~ Miami Herald
"I'll be back."
On the last entry of his MySpace page, written on January 4, Lance Cpl. Xavier wrote: "I'm going to Afghanistan in four days . . . I'm nervous and excited at the same time, but I'm very confident that I'll be back."
Source ~ Miami Herald
Lance Cpl. Xavier was a rifleman assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, I Marine Expeditionary Force Forward. He joined the Marine Corps in January 2009, and was promoted to the rank of lance corporal on March 1, 2010.
He deployed to Afghanistan in January 2010.
His awards include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Guestbook.
Lance Cpl. Xavier is survived by his parents, and by his two brothers, Didi, 22, and Chad, 18, with whom he loved to play basketball.
Thank you, Lance Cpl. Xavier. Godspeed. Your mission is done.
Staff Sgt. Shane S. Barnard, 38, of Desmet, South Dakota
Staff Sgt. Barnard died May 19 in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when he stepped on a secondary improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
"He's always been my best friend," his brother said.
The American flag flies high over Kingsbury County, right where Staff Sergeant Shane Barnard would want it.
"He loved his country a lot," Barnard's brother, Alex Botkin said.
Barnard volunteered for his tour of duty in Afghanistan and had just returned from a nine-month tour in Iraq the year before.
(snip)
His brother and other family members still don't know everything about his death. But they do know he had just disposed of a bomb before stepping on a second one.
"Just shock, couldn't believe that it happened to my brother," Botkin said.
(snip)
"I looked up to him so much; growing up he's always been my best friend," (his brother said).
It's only been a week since the two last talked through Facebook. Barnard asked his little brother to send him a sling shot.
"I was going to get it this weekend," Botkin said.
Source ~ KELOLAND TV
The yellow ribbons have faded, and a community is in mourning.
Staff Sgt. Shane Barnard spent nearly 10 years in De Smet (South Dakota) before re-enlisting to serve his country.
(His brother) Alex was at work Thursday when he got the call and says he is still dealing with the shock of losing Shane.
Barnard was stationed in Washington state, where he lived with his wife and three kids, but he always made a point to come back to De Smet at least once a year and hunt with his little brother. Something Alex will dearly miss.
(snip)
The yellow ribbons have faded but not the spirit of the community has not. The town of De Smet continues to support all its troops and support the family of Staff Sgt. Shane Barnard.
The family says there will be a memorial for Shane, but right now they are sorting out personal matters and it is too soon to set a date.
Source ~ KSFY
Video ~ KSFY
Staff Sgt. Barnard "was always looking for new challenges," his former boss said.
"He was always looking for new challenges," Jim Girard, plant manager at DeSCo Architectural in De Smet, told the Argus Leader. Barnard worked for the company from 2001 through 2004, and Girard also served with Barnard on De Smet’s volunteer ambulance crew, the newspaper reported.
"He was a very easy guy to get along with," Girard told the Argus Leader. "He was a very avid hunter; he did a lot of waterfowl hunting, deer hunting."
(snip)
Barnard had a diverse background in the Army, ranging from parachutist to medic, and from vehicle mechanic/driver to bomb handler.
He served an initial enlistment in the mid-1990s and began his current enlistment in early 2005. After training as a combat medic, he reported to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and was later reassigned to the United States Army Health Clinic at the Pentagon. Records show he had training as an immunization/allergy specialist.
In August 2007 he was reclassified and trained as an EOD specialist. He reported to the Army post south of Tacoma in August 2008.
Source ~ News Tribune
(Staff Sgt.) Barnard's civilian and military education includes a high school diploma and training in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer's Course (2008), Immunization/Allergy Specialist (2005), Warrior Leader Course (2005), and US Army Airborne School (2005).
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal (2 awards), Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal (2 awards), National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge, Driver and Mechanic Badge, Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge.
Source ~ Nisqually Valley News
Staff Sgt. Barnard is survived by his wife of 15 years, Jennifer, and by their three children, Ashley, 14, Trinity, 9, and D.J., 8. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Thank you, Staff Sgt. Barnard. Godspeed. Your mission is done.
Pfc. Billy G. Anderson, 20, of Alexandria, Tennessee.
Pfc. Anderson died May 17, in Badghis province Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with improvised explosive devices. He was assigned to the 508th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Too young to die; too young to leave a widow..
Family and friends awaited the return in DeKalb County. Billy Anderson's older brother said he wanted to go-out "in style" with full military honors.
It was a very somber scene Sunday morning at Lebanon's Municipal Airport. There was not a dry eye anywhere, as Billy Anderson's flag-draped coffin was off-loaded from the small jet that carried him home.
Anderson and '08 graduate of DeKalb County High School, died May 17th in Afghanistan, when his unit was ambushed by insurgents using I.E.D's, or improvised explosive devices.
The young man leaves behind an 8-month-old daughter and a wife, Caitlin, who admits at age 20, Billy was too young to die, and she's too young to be a widow.
Source ~ NewsChannel5
Pfc. Anderson was a "motivated" soldier who always had "a big grin on his face," his platoon sergeant said.
Pfc. Anderson’s platoon sergeant, Sgt. Samnang Long, remembered him earlier this week in a written statement:
"It seemed like nothing could bring him down. I consider it to be a great honor to have had him as a soldier under me."
Anderson enlisted in the Army in June 2009. After Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga., Anderson reported to Fort Bragg in November.
He deployed to Afghanistan in March.
(snip)
"Even though I only knew him for a short time as the platoon leader, he instantly made an impression on me as a motivated young soldier with a positive attitude and great outlook on life," said 1st Lt. Daniel Newell, Anderson's platoon leader. "He will not be forgotten by the members of this platoon, and I can only hope more soldiers will follow his example and personal demeanor."
Anderson's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart among others.
Source ~ News & Observer
Pfc. Anderson is survived by his wife, Caitlin, his 8-month-old daughter, Lilly, his mother, Patricia Goodwin, and his father, Billy Anderson.
Visitation for Pfc. Billy Anderson is being held today from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., at Dekalb Funeral Chapel, 863 South Congress Boulevard, Smithville, Tennessee
Visitation will also be held on Tuesday, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Funeral services, with full military honors, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, at the cemetery directly across the street from Dekalb Funeral Chapel.
Thank you, Pfc. Anderson. Godspeed. Your mission is done.
________________________________________________________________
Remember them. Honor their sacrifice.
To date, 4399 members of the United States military have lost their lives in Iraq. The death toll thus far in 2010 is 29. More than 31,000 members of the military have been wounded, many grievously. The Department of Defense Press Releases, from which the information at the start of each entry in this diary was drawn, can be seen here. The death toll among Iraqis is unknown, but is at least 200,000 and quite probably many times that number.
To date, 1081 members of the United States military have lost their lives in Afghanistan. The death toll thus far for 2010 is 135. 702 members of the military from other countries have also lost their lives.
Slide Show ~ The Final Salute
Assisting our military: Supporting our troops is the RIGHT THING to do.
You can send a care package. Please consider brightening the day of a soldier with a care package.
You can write letters.
You can send a cup of organic coffee.
You can find other ways to give at anysoldier.com or Fisher House. If you have frequent flyer miles you would like to donate to hospitalized veterans or their families, please see Fisher House’s Hero Miles program.
You can help the left-behind animal companions of our troops. See how here.
And right now, you can support them with a gift to Netroots for the Troops, a project of Netroots Nation’s Arts & Education Initiative that provides care packages for our deployed armed forces. We hope to send 600 packages this year.
And don’t forget them when they get home! Read welcomebackveterans.org to learn what you can do. Visit VoteVets and IAVA.
About the IGTNT series:
(Our beautiful logo was created by kossack Timroff. Thank you, Timroff.)
The purpose of the I Got the News Today series is 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. It is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, CalNM, Wide Awake in KY and me, noweasels.
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, or me, noweasels.
As you read this diary, please consider that the families and friends of those profiled here also may read it and that many members of our community have served in Iraq or Afghanistan or have loved ones currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the very proud daughter of a Navy pilot, and the granddaughter of a Marine pilot and a submariner ~ all of whom rest beneath our nation‘s flag ~ I hope that the comments tonight will demonstrate our respect for the sacrifices of our fallen military and our compassion for their families. Please reserve political and other comments for appropriate diaries; this is not one of them.