In Flanders Fields
by Lt. Col. John McRae, MD, (1872-1918)
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved,
and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.
Capt. William H. DuBois, 30, of New Castle, Colorado, died Dec. 1 when his F-16 aircraft crashed near a coalition air base in the Middle East. He was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.
Captain William H. Dubois
The DuBois family released a
poem written by their son, Capt. William H. DuBois:
"I'm a lover, I'm a fighter
I'm an F-16 Viper Driver
That's a f-ing A, Fox 3, Rifle, Wpn Away
Single seat, single engine, supersonic defender of freedom
Fighter Pilot
Because yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil
Anything in life worth doing
is worth overdoing
moderation is for cowards.
I wine, dine, intertwine and love the finer things in life that are divine
So if you're feeling like a fight,
remember I'm a lover and a fighter
so watch your step
but right now, let me be a lover.
and maybe even a drinker!"
Captain William DuBois died shortly after takeoff, when the F-16 encountered problems and crashed. DuBois was headed out on a combat mission against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria when the aircraft went down. Pentagon said the plane was not shot down. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
DuBois was with the 77th Fighter Squadron from Shaw Air Force Base. The F-16s were deployed in October to an undisclosed area in the Middle East to help with Operation Inherent Resolve. Dubois was from New Castle, Colorado and a graduate of University of Colorado at Boulder in aerospace engineering. He is survived by his wife, Ashley, and his parents, Donna and William DuBois, Sr.
Col. Stephen Jost, Commander of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw, issued the following statement:
"Our most sincere condolences are with his family, his friends and squadron members during this difficult time," Jost said. "Captain Dubois was a patriot, who was willing to put his life on the line every day in service to his nation. He was a valued airman, pilot and friend of those he touched here at Shaw Air Force Base. He will be greatly missed."
DuBois's parents told the
ABC Denver Channel 7:
"He was the best man I ever knew," said his father, William DuBois Sr. "He had a short life that was so well-lived. He lived life to the fullest. He was so much more. He was not afraid to try anything. He was honorable. He lost his life being a hero."
"What can you say about the most wonderful person to walk the planet? Will was anything but generic. Family held the highest priority in his life. He made everyone around him better. I was a better person having him as my son," his mother, Donna DuBois, said.
Rest in Peace, Capt. William H. DuBois. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
United States Air Force F-16, the Fighting Falcon
Since August 2014, there have been 3 deaths in Operation Inherent Resolve. Since 2001, there have been 2350 American troops killed in Afghanistan. There were 66 casualties in Operation New Dawn and 4493 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
All of the U.S. fatalities can be seen here and here. They all had loved ones, families and friends. The DoD news releases are here. I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect and remind. Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries.
Click the IGTNT tags to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by i dunno, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Maggie Jean, Jax Dem, The Fat Lady Sings, Ekaterina, Joy of Fishes, and me, Sandy on Signal.
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.