Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson
I Got the News Today (IGTNT) is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
The beautiful forget me nots created by llbear.
Since 2003 there have been 4427 US casualties in Iraq and since 2001 there have been 1385 US casualties in Afghanistan. Source.
Tonight we honor:
Senior Airman Andrew S. Bubacz, 23, of Dalzell, S. C.
Cpl. Shawn D. Fannin, 32, of Wheelersburg, Ohio
According to wistv.com Staff Sergeant Andrew S. Bubacz was an IT guy, but he had hopes of going into medicine.
Andrew's friend, Gary Duggan, is having a hard time swallowing the news, "Just to hear suddenly that he was gone was just unreal," said Duggan.
Neighbor John Sammons was stunned to hear Bubacz died. "I called Linda, Andrew's mom and said, is it true? And through tears she said yes. So I got off the phone, my wife looked at me and I broke down," said Sammons. "To me he's a hero, he gave the ultimate price."
"He always had a lot of friends. I never personally met anyone who didn't like him," said Duggan.
"Every time he'd come home on leave, he'd come by the house and tell me and my wife hello. He was just that kind of guy," said Sammons.
Bubacz recently became an uncle, but never got a chance to meet his niece.
From NewsOK
Staff Sergeant Andrew S. Bubacz was in Nuristan as part of a provincial reconstruction team. He had spent time at Altus Air Force Base. Emergency crews responded and Bubacz was transported to the hospital at Bagram Air Base where he was pronounced dead. The investigation into the cause of his death is ongoing.
Col. Ty Thomas, the commander of the 97th Air Mobility Wing, says Bubacz "was a great airman" and that he'll be missed. Flags at Altus Air Force Base will fly at half-staff until memorial services for Bubacz are complete.
***
The Columbus Dispatch quotes the Department of Defense regarding Army Cpl. Shawn D Fannin:
A southern Ohio soldier has died while serving in Afghanistan, the military reported Saturday.
Army Cpl. Shawn D Fannin, 32, of Wheelersburg in Scioto County, died Friday in Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan in a “noncombat related incident.” No further details regarding that incident were available.
Fannin was assigned to the 404th Aviation Support Battalion based at Fort Hood, Texas. The 404th repairs and provides logistical support for helicopters in the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade.
No further information was available. Cpl. Fannin's death continues to be under investigation.
UPDATE: h/t SisTwo
From WSAZ News Channel's comments From Amanda:
my prayers go out to your family shawn. Thank you for risking your life for us. Just thinking about how in school you always had this big smile on your face. I remeber the christmas concert and you doing the 2 front teeth skit. I know i didnt know you that well because you were a few grades above me but you was always a really nice and well liked guy. R.I.P. Shawn you will be missed by many
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Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, 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, CalNM, Wide Awake in KY, maggiejean, racheltracks, kestrel 9000, JaxDem, and Cathy.
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal or noweasels.
To see what these tributes mean to those who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, please read Sandy on Signal’s story about meeting the father of a soldier at NN10.
The IGTNT logo was created by Timroff.
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.
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