Over this past weekend, another father was killed in Afghanistan. Let us join tonight in helping to remember the life of Private First Class Brice Scott, who grew up in Oregon.
Private First Class Brice M. Scott
Brice M. Scott grew up in Eugene, Oregon. His father was a former tank commander and he had several ancestors and relatives who served in the military.
Brice liked to ride the sand dunes in an ATV when he spent summers and weekends in Florence, Oregon with his grandfather Tim Robins. It was there on the Oregon coast that Brice met his future wife, Dell. KVAL had an interview with Brice's grandfather and also posted a video:
"I can't hardly describe the amount of feelings and sadness that I have," said Robins. "When I first heard about it I cried so hard I couldn't breathe."
Robins said Scott joined the army last year after he lost his construction job and needed a way to provide for his wife and two daughters.
"Had the economy stayed where it should have, he would have done well at it," Robins said.
Robins struggles everyday but has found peace in doing what he does well, turning stumps into works of art. Scott used to help his grandpa deliver pieces all over Oregon.
Scott was a student and football player at North Eugene High when he became interested in the Job Corps, a free federal education and training program that helps young people find jobs. After training at a Job Corps site in Yachats on the Oregon coast, Scott got a degree in carpentry in 2006 and worked as a carpenter in the coastal town of Newport and in Albany, Oregon. Like many in this tough economy, Scott lost his job last year. To support his family, he turned to a career in the military.
Scott grew up playing paintball, was virtually unbeatable at the video game, “Halo,” and was an excellent marksman. The Army seemed a natural choice. He joined the US Army in March of 2010 and was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, which is based at Fort Riley in Kansas.
In February, he traveled with 4-4 Cavalry on his first deployment, serving as a cavalry scout in the Kandahar Province of southern Afghanistan. He had been in the states in May, for a two-week visit with his wife and daughters in Kansas. The
Eugene Register Guard has several quotes about the PFC from his parents and others:
Scott and his unit were in a rocky, mountainous area, a stronghold for enemy fighters considered “the most volatile area of Afghanistan,” said his mother, Carol Tripp, 39, of Junction City, Kan.
“You can count on getting into a firefight anytime you walk into that area,” Tripp said…
“I personally don’t believe in the wars, but it was his life and his calling,” Tripp said. “I just had to let him go.”…
“For a young man, he was the best father I’d ever seen,” Steven Scott said.
Scott and two others were working a security checkpoint when they were ambushed by eight insurgents. Scott was shot in the head and another soldier was hit in the torso before additional US troops arrived and killed the enemy combatants. PFC Brice Scott died of the wounds he had sustained from the small arms fire on July 31. He was 22 years old.
Scott is survived by his mother, Carol Tripp of Junction City, Kansas, by his father, Steven Scott of Florence, Oregon, and by his wife, Dell and their two girls, Celina and Mia.
A private service for Scott is tentatively scheduled at the Ada Grange Hall in Florence, Oregon. A public military service is planned to be held in Kansas.
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Helping our troops:
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider contributing to Fisher House. Donating to Netroots for the Troops provides care packages that 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 US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, Twilight Falling, Joyful, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Maggie Jean, Jax Dem, Kestrel 9000, & TheFatLadySings. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized 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.