General H. Norman Schwarzkopf was quoted during an interview with Barbara Walters in 1991:
"It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle."
Tonight we honor three of those who went into battle:
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Sergeant First Class Miguel A. Wilson from Texas who died on November 21st in Abu Sayf, Iraq
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Private Charles Y. Barnett from Maryland who died on November 20th in Tallil, Iraq
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Gunnery Sergeant Marcelo R. Velasco from Miami who died November 19th in Anbar province, Iraq
Sergeant First Class Miguel A. Wilson
In 1990, Miguel Wilson graduated from Bonham High School in Texas. Wilson joined the military in January 1997 as an indirect fire infantryman. Since September 2006, he has been with the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas.
He deployed to Iraq in November of 2007.
On November 21st, Sergeant First Class Wilson was on a dismounted reconnaissance mission in Abu Sayf, Iraq. The Fort Hood soldier from North Texas died of injuries suffered during a rescue attempt of another soldier. He was 36 years old.
The incident remains under investigation. According to the North Texas E-news site:
"Its hard for me to be sad when he was doing exactly what he wanted to do," stated the soldier's mother, Wanda Wilson.
Military sources indicate Miguel was crossing a bridge when he saw another soldier struggling in the water below. The soldier jumped over the side of the bridge wearing a 65-pound backpack and managed to rescue the soldier in the water, although Miguel was unable to make it to safety...
To date, 4,202 confirmed casualties have been reported in the war in Iraq.
Sergeant First Class Wilson's decorations and awards include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.
SFC Wilson's remains will arrive at Fort Hood's Robert Gray Army Airfield today. Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, November 29th, 2008, at Fort Hood's Chapel. Interment will be held Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas. The Patriot Guard Riders are attending the funeral at the request of the family.
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Private Charles Y. Barnett
Charles Barnett was born in 1989. His mother was from Seoul and his parents met when his father, a Army staff sergeant, was stationed in South Korea.
He attended school in Sykesville and then, after his mother remarried, attended Bel Air High School, before obtaining a GED. He wanted to serve in the Army for a few years and then attend college.
Soon after he turned 18, Charles told his mother he wanted to join the Army. His mother chased military recruiters from her home, but the teenager was determined to enlist. He left for basic training last year.
Private Barnett was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. In May of 2008, The private was sent to Iraq. Among other duties, he was assigned to clear roads of mines.
Late Thursday, November 20th, military officials came to his mother and stepfather's Bel Air home with news that the 19-year-old had died that day of injuries he received in Tallil in a noncombat incident.
According to the Baltimore Examiner site:
Charles Yi Barnett enlisted in the U.S. Army right out of high school to fulfill his adventurous dreams of becoming a SWAT team member.
"When he was 14, that’s all he talked about," said Barnett’s eldest brother, Jason. "He just wanted to get his foot in the door and do something different with his life."...
"When we opened the door, there was a chaplain and a staff sergeant — why else would they be at our home at 11 at night?" Danshiell said.
His mother was quoted by the Baltimore Sun:
"I knew Jesus was holding his hand," his mother said. "I knew he would be OK. I prayed for him. I never, ever thought two soldiers would be knocking on my door in the middle of the night."
Barnett was the youngest of three sons born to his Korean-born mother and American father. His parents divorced when the boys were young, and the three boys grew up very close in their mother's Sykesville home, said his eldest brother, Jason Barnett, 22, of Cheyenne, Wyo.
As a boy, Barnett loved drawing complicated scenes of fantasy characters and comic book heroes. He was an excellent student and often helped his older brothers with their homework, his mother recalled.
The funeral is to be held Saturday, November 29th at the Schimunek Funeral home in Bel Aire, Maryland. The Patriot Guard Riders will be attending.
Private Barnett leaves behind his mother, stepfather, Walter "Mike" Dashiell, and brothers, Jonathan and Jason Barnett. He is also survived by his father, Kenneth Barnett of New Jersey, a stepsister, Lauren Dashiell, and a stepbrother, Walter Michael Dashiell Jr.
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Gunnery Sergeant Marcelo R. Velasco
Gunnery Sgt. Marcelo R. Velasco of Miami, died on November 19th, from injuries sustained in a nonhostile incident in Anbar province. He was assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group out of Camp Pendleton, California.
The Gunnery Sergeant was 40 years old. Sadly, his death is listed as "under investigation" so we there is little other news for our tribute to him tonight.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released the following statement regarding the death of Gunnery Sgt. Marcelo R. Velasco:
"Maria and I are deeply saddened by the loss of Gunnery Sergeant Marcelo Velasco. He was a courageous Marine who dedicated his life to preserving our nation's freedom. His loyal service to our country is an inspiration to us all and his sacrifice will not be forgotten. We join all Californians in offering our thoughts and prayers to Marcelo's family and friends during this difficult time."...
In honor of Gunnery Sgt. Velasco, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.
According to the Legacy.com guestbook, Velasco was a good Marine and a good man:
Gunny V was the nicest man I have ever had the prviledge of serving with. He was a good Marine, a great leader and even better friend. He will be missed.
SSgt A (Fallujah)
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Helping our troops:
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. If you have frequent flyer miles, they can be donated to hospitalized veterans or their families. See Fisher House’s Hero Miles program for details. Consider sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com. Letters or care packages can make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here. Also, you could visit:
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Hire Heroes USA and Welcome Back Veterans to see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, MsWings, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, moneysmith, labwitchy, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo and Mediaprof. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but an important service to those Americans who have died and to our community’s respect for and remembrance of them. If you would like to volunteer, even once a month, please contact me, Sis.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the Department of Defense will usually be diaried two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.