I Got The News Today (IGTNT) is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos. It is a way for our community to pay respect to those who have died as a result of war.
The beautiful logo was created by Timroff
On the day that many awaited the viewing of a "supermoon," a young man from California was killed in Afghanistan. Specialist Javier Sanchez, Jr. died on Sunday, June 23rd in Sar Rowzah. Sandy on Signal has provided the news about this fine young man.
Sergeant Corey E. Garver also died the same day in Zormat, Afghanistan. That young man was from Maine. SisTwo wrote the memorial to him.
DoD Announces Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Javier Sanchez Jr., 28, of Greenfield, Calif., died June 23, in Sar Rowzah, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device while on mounted patrol. He was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Fernando Vicente described his nephew to a reporter from
KSBW, how his nephew was proud and eager to serve in our Armed Forces.
"He always had this 'country first' attitude and I think that’s what made him sign up,"
Spc. Javier Sanchez joined the Army in 2006. In December 2011, he arrived at Fort Drum. Sanchez served a tour of duty in Iraq in 2008 -2009. He earned the following awards and decorations: he Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, two Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Service Ribbons, the NATO Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Spc. Javier Sanchez
Last year, Spc. Sanchez married his wife, Cassandra, along with her, survivors include his parents and a brother and a sister. His family plans on having an open casket viewing in Soledad and a memorial in Greenfield later this week. In memorial, Governor Brown has ordered flags be flown at half-staff over the California State Capitol today.
Source: Syracuse.com,KSBW.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sergeant Corey E. Garver
Corey E. Garver grew up in the Old Farm Road neighborhood of Topsham, Maine and attended Mt. Ararat High School. His father was a career Navy man, and he followed in his dad's footsteps into the military by joining the Army in June of 2007. A friend of Corey's was interviewed by the
Portland Press Herald staff:
Nate Gerrish, who lives in Topsham, is a 2005 graduate of Mt. Ararat High School and was friends on Facebook with Garver.
Gerrish said he remembers Garver liked to play hockey and seemed to blend in well with other students at the high school.
"He was an average guy, who stayed out of trouble," said Gerrish, who added he was saddened to learn that his classmate had been killed overseas. "It was sad, and it was eye-opening."
Garver was assigned to Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division which is based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was serving as an infantryman and was deployed to Afghanistan. Some pictures of him in the field can be seen in a
recent "photo essay" showing joint US/Afghan patrols.
On June 23rd, Sergeant Garver died while conducting a dismounted patrol, when an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated. He was 26 years old. Garver was killed in Zormat, Afghanistan. Zormat is in the Paktia province of Afghanistan, where it borders with Pakistan. Earlier this month two NATO soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing in that province. The attack also claimed the lives of 10 children and an Afghan police officer. Sixteen other people were injured.
The awards earned by Sergeant Garver include two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and Air Assault Badge.
Sergeant Corey E. Garver is survived by his parents, Zachary D. Garver and Ellen H. Garver. Garver's father and stepmother live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and his mother lives in Louisiana.
**********************
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 remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died. US 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. Click the IGTNT tags below to see previous diaries in the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by i dunno, Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Jax Dem, The Fat Lady Sings, Ekaterin, & Joy of Fishes. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
|
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.