They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
...
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
~ Excerpted from "To The Fallen," by Lawrence Binyon (September 1914)
We remember today the lives of five more soldiers who will not grow old: PFC Jason E. Dore, Col. Jon M. Lockey, Cpl. Jeremy D. Allbaugh, Lance Cpl. Steven A. Stacy, and Lance Cpl. Angel R. Ramirez.
Jason E. Dore
DoD reports:
Pfc. Jason E. Dore, 25, of Moscow, Maine, died July 8 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Jason Dore grew up in Moscow, Maine. His uncle, Tim Cates, told The Bangor Daily News that Jason "enjoyed being outdoors and fishing at Hunter’s Pond in (nearby) Bingham." He attended the Upper Kennebec Valley High School in Bingham through his junior year, but left high school to attend the Penobscot Job Corps in Bangor. The Bangor Daily news reports:
Renae Muscatell, business and community liaison for the Penobscot Job Corps Center, said Monday that Dore was a "wonderful student."
(snip)
Job Corps welding instructor Blaine Marston described Dore as "a really hard-nosed, kid. A good kid."
"He's the kind of kid that you would expect to go defend your country," Marston said. "Honorable."
After receiving a general educational development degree with a specialty in welding from the Job Corps, he decided to join the Army in October 2005. He quickly became enamored of the Army. PFC Dore’s cousin, Tiffany Hanf, told the Kennebec Journal, "He grew into a very handsome and good man and he loved the military. He was a very proud soldier; that's for sure. He loved what he was doing and we're very, very proud of him."
Just eight months into his first tour of duty in Iraq, PFC Dore was injured while on patrol. He was brought to a Baghdad hospital, where he died of his wounds.
The loss of PFC Dore is devastating to his entire family, but it is even more heartbreaking for the woman who grew up with him and now won’t have the chance to become part of his family. From the Kennebunk Journal:
Dore's fiancée, Sophie Belanger, who spent Monday with family members at the home of Dore's grandmother, Lucille McDonald, said it has been tough for the family to come to grips with the loss. "It's not one of those things you comprehend," said Belanger, who had been seeing Dore for seven years and had known him since he was 12. "We're just holding up."
The couple had planned to marry once Dore returned from Iraq in January, she said.
A long-time teacher, Linda Hunnewell, remembers PFC Dore fondly:
"He wanted to do well in life; he worked very hard at trying to do the right thing. He certainly is going to be a person that's going to be missed. His mom worked real hard and really, really loved her child and wanted nothing but the best for him."
Hunnewell said it was a shame to lose such a wonderful young man in the prime of his life. "I admire his willingness to go overseas, but I certainly am sad he had to go under such circumstances. He sacrificed himself and should be remembered, recognized and appreciated that he was willing to give of himself like that."
~ Kennebec Journal
PFC Dore is survived by his mother, Gale Dore, his father, Jody Dore, his 15-year-old brother Logan French, his grandmother, Lucille McDonald, and his fiancée, Sophie Belanger.
A picture of PFC Dore in action in Iraq this past March can be found here. He has been awarded the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Combat Action Badge, Army Service Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Rest in peace, Jason Dore. At the going down of the sun and at its rising in the morning, we will remember you. May you find your place among the stars you reached for.
Jon M. Lockey
DoD reports:
Col. Jon M. Lockey, 44, of Fredericksburg, Va., died July 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
The incident is under investigation.
Lockey was assigned to Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.
An unconfirmed source suggests that Col. Lockey died of a heart attack while in Iraq. It is not known why Col. Lockey, who was assigned to the Department of the Army in Washington, was in Iraq.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find any newspaper coverage of Col. Lockey's death. However, his family has written an obituary (presented at coventfuneralservice.com, the home handling his funeral) that summarizes his life. It is too beautiful to be paraphrased or diluted, so I include it here, unvarnished:
Called to duty in the service of our lord, on Friday, July 6, 2007, Colonel Jon Michael Lockey reported to heaven to serve and stand watch over the family and nation he so loved.
Born on April 28, 1963, to Harold and Patricia Lockey in Hollywood, Calif., he was also big brother to sister, Susan.
Jon attended USMA West Point '85 and received his commission in the Army as a Field Artillery officer. He also attended Monterey Language Institute to study Italian, where he met his wife, Dorothea Jean Lockey. In August of 1987, they were married. Jon was the loving father of two sons, Steven R. Lockey and Christopher J. Lockey.
After receiving a Master's Degree from NMSU, he established residence in Fredericksburg, Va. Jon attended CGSC in Ft. Leavenworth, Kan. and then War College in Carlisle, Pa.
He was a devoted father who enjoyed spending his free time with his sons. He was loving husband and wonderful father. He was a respected officer, having attained the rank of colonel. Jon served his country with honor and passed away while stationed in Iraq.
He leaves behind his wife of 20 years, Jeannie; his two sons, Steven and CJ of Fredericksburg; his mother, Pat Lockey, and father, Hal Lockey; sister, Susan Lockey of Bakersfield, Calif. He also leaves behind many family and friends who loved him dearly.
...
In lieu of flowers, our family asks that you thank a soldier and send donations to charities that support our troops.
We love and miss you, Jon. Your day is done.
The guestbook also contains some deeply touching remembrances by friends. Two particularly stood out to me. One is from his colleague, Bill Alderson, who remembers Col. Lockey as a brilliant problem solver whose work will save lives:
Col Jon Lockey is an honorable and brilliant man. I will not forget my first meeting with Col Lockey this past April, or my last conversation with him June 14th. His leadership during his recent tenure in Iraq the past few months will definitively save lives and keeps America safer. Jon's creative mind applied not only to leadership, but solving many complex technical problems in a very short duration testifies of his greatness. I’m sad that his life here was short, and pray that his legacy will be remembered and lived on through his loving family. We that work with him will miss him and his brilliant contributions.
The other is from Patty and Larry Stafford, who remember Col. Lockey as a leader who inspired others to do their very best, and who placed the welfare of those entrusted to his command beyond his own safety:
...
Colonel Jon Lockey was a person that others were magnetically drawn to... The choices that he made in life, and the things he strived to achieve inspired all. You could always sense that he really cared about everyone around him, even placing their needs before his. He was very intellectual, while at the same time approachable by ANYONE... He was the type of leader that didn't consider himself better than others... but instead, wanted to better others! Jon was a leader who people chose to follow, rather than a leader who only drew followers out of fear.
I believe Jon wasn't just working to create a better image of himself to others... but was honestly striving to create the kind of world that we all would truly want to live in... and because of that, we all view him as a larger than life legend! I truly would have looked forward to a future where Jon was THE leader who was setting the agenda for a better world... versus a great leader who was acting on other's agenda.
...
Jon you will be an inspiration to us always!
Rest in peace, Jon Lockey. At the going down of the sun and at its rising in the morning, we will remember you. May you find your place among the stars you reached for.
Jeremy D. Allbaugh
DoD reports:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Jeremy D. Allbaugh, 21, of Luther, Okia.
Lance Cpl. Steven A. Stacy, 23, of Coos Bay, Ore.
Both Marines died July 5 from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
Jeremy Allbaugh was born to serve in the Marines. He grew up reading about the military, thinking about the military, and pretending to be part of the military. His brother told TulsaWorld.com that Jeremy "dressed in fatigues for Halloween. He had camouflaged backpacks for school."
Jeremy attended Harrah High School in Harrah, Oklahoma, where he played baseball for the school’s team. His assistant principal, Kenneth Riddle, told Chron.com, "He was a great baseball player, a great student and a great athlete." But still, his dreams strayed to the military. Finally, shortly before his graduation in 2004, Jeremy asked his parents for permission to join the Marines. He wasn't quite 18 yet.
His parents, Jon and Jenifer Allbaugh, gave their permission with that combination of support and concern that parents often are asked to give.
"You know that's what they want to do, but it is always a very scary thing," Jenifer Allbaugh said.
"We also knew that if we didn't, he would just do it in two months (when he turned 18) anyway. So, we supported him."
~ TulsaWorld.com
Cpl. Allbaugh’s unit deployed to Iraq about four months ago. He told his parents that he believed strongly in his mission was very proud of the work they were doing there. His mother told NewsOK.com:
"They were doing good things over there, and we don't see that in the news media. There's a lot of progress being made," she said. "I wish more people would talk to our boys who are in it and not our politicians because they see it first hand. They're building schools and hospitals.
"I asked him how the Iraqi people treated them, and he said, 'They love us because we're helping them.'"
Despite the distance, Cpl. Allbaugh remained close to his hometown friends, who described him as an amazing person. "He was always there for you, no matter what," Kyle Burnette told NewsOK.com. Another friend, Johnny Young, referred to Cpl. Allbaugh as a member of his family. "His parents are my parents. My parents are his parents. I talked to his mom two weeks before it happened. He was the best friend anyone could ever have. He was a great guy. He was like a brother," Young told NewsOK.com.
Cpl. Allbaugh is survived by his parents, Jon and Jenifer Allbaugh, his brothers, Army 2nd Lt. Jason Allbaugh and Bryan Allbaugh, and his sister, Alicia Allbaugh. His uncle, Joe Allbaugh, is a former director of FEMA during the first term of President Bush.
A photo of Cpl. Allbaugh is posted at Spread the Word: Iraq-Nam.
Rest in peace, Jeremy Allbaugh. At the going down of the sun and at its rising in the morning, we will remember you. May you find your place among the stars you reached for. Semper fi.
Steven A. Stacy
Steven Stacy grew up in Coos Bay, Oregon. He always loved the outdoors, and enjoyed deer hunting and fishing. But his passion was scuba diving. His mother, Dana Potts, said that this passion earned him the nickname "Scuba Steve." He dreamed of scuba diving in many places, including Singapore, Thailand, and Kuwait.
He graduated from Marshfield High School in 2003. Unsure of what he wanted to do with his life, he tried several different jobs: an assistant to the mentally and physically disabled, a constructor specializing in drywalling, working on a 100-foot guide yacht that toured Glacier Bay in Alaska, working at a sporting goods store. Nothing really resonated with him. Finally, in November 2005, he decided to follow a lifelong dream of serving his country in the military and joined the Marines.
Both (his mother, Dana) Potts, and his stepfather, Robert Potts - who helped raise Stacy since about the fourth grade - said Stacy always wanted to be in the military. They were glad he joined, but nervous he chose to be a rifleman.
"He told us that was the best decision he ever made - even if he never came back from Iraq," his mother said. "That that was the best thing in the world he ever had done."
Her husband agreed.
"It turned him into a man," he said.
(snip)
The last time Stacy was home was last Christmas. His mother said he was home for about 10 days. He spent most of his time with his friends and spent the holiday in Tangent with relatives.
Everyone noticed a change in him, his mother said.
"The Marine Corps really did wonders for him," she said, noting he was socking away money to go to college and talking of transferring to the U.S. Navy to become a medic.
~ TheWorldLink.com
Lance Cpl. Stacy’s unit started training in Kuwait in June for an upcoming mission in Iraq. He spoke with his mother and stepfather often while he was in Kuwait. He told them that he was scared, but very proud to serve his country. Three weeks ago, he informed them that his unit would be heading into Iraq shortly. They never heard from him again.
This young man, who had finally found his direction and was looking forward to everything life has to offer, was shot in the neck and died on July 6. His grieving family and friends continue to contemplate all the life he had ahead of him.
"Everybody loved Steve," Dana said. "He had super high-respect for women. He would say that's why he doesn't have a girlfriend: ‘They all think I'm their best friend.'"
(snip)
And he hoped one day to get married and have kids.
"He wanted to find that one person," Dana said. "He always had this passion to find the right person and get married, settle down and have kids. He wanted the regular American life."
Now his family and friends will come together to try and find a way to keep going - without him. His mother said she will miss his big smile. His friends will miss him picking up the tab, and trying to crack them up.
"He had a lot more life to live," Robert Potts said.
~ TheWorldLink.com
Lance Cpl. Stacy is survived by his mother, Dana Potts, his biological father, Stanley Stacy, his stepfather, Robert Potts, and his three sisters, April Smith, Crystal McDonald, and Hallie Stacy. A picture of Lance Cpl. Stacy with his mother is posted at TheWorldLink.com.
Rest in peace, Steven Stacy. At the going down of the sun and at its rising in the morning, we will remember you. May you find your place among the stars you reached for, and may you get to scuba dive the cosmos for all eternity. Semper fi.
Angel R. Ramirez
DoD reports:
Lance Cpl. Angel R. Ramirez, 28, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died Feb. 21 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., after being medically evacuated following a non-hostile incident in Al Qaim, Iraq, on Dec. 21, 2006. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
The incident is currently under investigation.
The announcement surrounding the death of this Marine was delayed due to an administrative adjustment to the Marine’s original death classification.
The New York Daily News reports that Lance Cpl. Ramirez was married and was the proud father of a 3-year-old girl. A former neighbor told the Daily News, "He was definitely a good man."
Sadly, because of the long delay between Lance Cpl. Ramirez's death and its official announcement by DoD, I was unable to find any other information about this Marine. The fact that he lived for two months after being critically wounded tells us that he was a true fighter, and the fact that he served his country as a Marine during a time of war tells us that he loved his country and his fellow Americans. I will continue seeking information about this brave man. If you have any information about Lance Cpl. Ramirez, please include it in the comments and I will update this diary.
Rest in peace, Angel Ramirez. You fought the good fight, both on the battlefield and after you were injured. The world is darker for your loss. At the going down of the sun and at its rising in the morning, we will remember you. May you find your place among the stars you reached for. Semper fi.
A Special Remembrance: Sean K. Mitchell
DoD reports:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Sean K. Mitchell, 35, of Monterey, Calif., died July 7 in Kidal, Mali, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. His death is under investigation.
Mitchell was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Stuttgart, Germany.
SFGate reports:
Sgt. 1st Class Sean K. Mitchell was serving in a cooperative program between American and African troops which is meant to improve border security and bolster counter-terrorism efforts in the western African nation, said Major John Dorrian, a spokesman for the U.S. European Command.
Mitchell was killed when the tent he was working in was thrown during high winds, said Dorrian. Four other soldiers were injured, and are now being treated at a U.S. military hospital in Germany, he said.
Although the IGTNT series focuses on those soldiers who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, we acknowledge, with deep respect and gratitude, the sacrifices made by the members of all our armed services who are taking part in Operation Enduring Freedom. Our heartfelt condolences go to the friends, family members, and comrades of Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell.
In Closing...
As of this writing, Iraq Coalition Casualties reports that 3607 American soldiers have been confirmed killed in action in Iraq, with 3 additional deaths pending notification of the families. 412 American troops have died in Afghanistan. The DoD news releases can be found here.
You can help our soldiers. Please consider sponsoring a soldier at TroopCarePackage.com. It doesn’t take much time or money. Just send letters or care packages to your soldier. One of my "adopted" soldiers told me that "mail is gold" for a deployed soldier. A few minutes of your time and one airmail stamp can make a real difference in a soldier’s life. anysoldier.com, Operation Helmet, and Fisher House are also wonderful organizations that provide comfort and care to deployed American soldiers.
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 Monkeybiz, Sandy on Signal, silvercedes, noweasels, greenies, American Daughter, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, Wee Mama, MsWings, and sheddhead.
If you would like to help out with IGTNT -- even once a month -- please get in touch with silvercedes, Sandy on Signal, noweasels or monkeybiz.
Sincere thanks to greenies for research assistance!