Nov. 4, 2009, Greenville, TX.
Army SSGT. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, TX. died Oct. 26 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. A grateful community welcomed their hometown hero home.

He was among the 18 fallen soldiers greeted by President Obama in Dover last week.

His chartered plane landed at 11:55 delivering his flag draped casket to his family. As the plane landed it was greeted with area fire departments and a dramatic water bridge. Once the plane came to a stop the doors opened slowing. Soon after an Army escort formally delivered his fallen brother home.

An Army honor guard then transferred his casket to a waiting coach. Afterward the family then welcomed their loved one home. It was a heart wrenching moment to observe.

The procession then organized to escort him to his hometown of Terrell some 27 miles journey. Along the route hundreds of citizen came out to show their respects to the fallen warrior and his family.
Both parents spoke of their son of being a hero. Since, his death they have learned a lot about their son from others who knew him. As a combat medic “…he helped save the lives of many soldiers,” said his mother.

Video Description:
Special Thanks To:
Anderson-Clayton Funeral Home
Majors Air Filed
Greenville Fire & Police
Texas State Troopers
Patriot Guard Riders of North Texas

Music:
Requiem of a Soldier
They’ll Remember You

Video Production
USFallen.org
Jerry Castillo
Producer

Week ending Oct. 31, 2009 the US Department of Defense released the names of 27 (9 more than the mainstream media covered) military personnel who died, while serving in the United States armed forces.

Welcome viewers. These weekly episodes pay tribute to brave men and women who served our country with distinction. This video is more than an announcement of data typically found on mainstream media outlets. We focus on the warrior as a human whose lives have impacted a family, friends, and neighbors around our world. Your respectful comments are welcomed and serve as memorial tributes to our fallen soldiers. Political opinions and debates are best suited elsewhere.

Please visit “MY HERO” family tributes, videos of military funerals and homecomings. We have centralized other key resources for survivors and returning veterans.

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On Oct.26, 2009,18 Americans came home. President Obama was at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware – the first time a president has been present when remains of fallen military arrived home.

The president’s presence was significant. He will soon decide how to continue pursuing the war in Afghanistan. Welcoming home the 18 dead Americans and meeting with family members – when their grief and loss was still raw – will weigh on his decision.

Obama acknowledged as such after the Dover ceremony: “The burden that both our troops and our families bear in any wartime situation is going to bear on how I see these conflicts.”

The president participated in the arrival of one Fort Lewis soldier, Sgt. Dale Griffin, whose family had given permission for media coverage of his return. Because of the welcome change in military policy, which allows families to decide on coverage at Dover, more people around the world are able to witness the price paid by soldiers and their loved ones.

This has been the worst month for U.S. fatalities in Afghanistan since the United States invaded the country in October 2001. As long as U.S. troops are on the ground in such places as Afghanistan and Iraq, the grim ceremony at Dover will be repeated. Listed below are the fallen from the week before.

Fallen Description:

Maj. David L. Audo, 35, of Saint Joseph, IL.,
Pfc. Brian R. Bates, Jr., 20, of Gretna, LA.,
Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.,
Spc. Robert K. Charlton, 22, of Malden, MO.,
Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, 24, of Alamo, TX..
Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, 23, of Anchorage, AK.
Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos, 39, of Questa, N.M.,
Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, of South Ozone Park, N.Y.
Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, of Terre Haute, IN.,
Pfc. Kimble A. Han, 30, of Lehi, UT.,
Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, NV.,
Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, 27, of Plattsburg, MO.,
Capt. Eric A. Jones, 29, of Westchester, N.Y.,
Spc. Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, FL.
CWO Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, WA.,
Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, TX..
S1C David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, CA.,
Pfc. Devin J. Michel, 19, of Stockton, IL. ,
Capt. David “Seth” Mitchell, 30, of Loveland, OH.,
CWO Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, GA.,
Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, WI.
Spc. Jared D. Stanker, 22, of Evergreen Park, IL.,
Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley, 21, of Rosanky, TX.,
Spc. Brandon K. Steffey, 23, of Sault Sainte Marie, MI.,
Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen, 29, of N. Attleboro, MA.,
Pfc. Christopher I. Walz, 25, of Vancouver, WA.,
Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson, 24, of Broussard, LA.,
Sgt. Eduviges G. Wolf, 24, of Hawthorne, CA.,

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Video Description

Music:
Time to Say Goodbye
Mansions of the Lord
Sgt. MacKenzie
TAPS

Photos/Resources
afghanistan.pigstye.net
defenselink.mil
kvue.com
thesunchronicle.com
thonline.com
militarycity.com

USFallen.org Video Production
Jerry CastILo
Producer

http://blip.tv/file/2796252
Embed:

Week ending Oct. 24, 2009 the US Department of Defense released the names of 12 military personnel who died, while serving in the United States armed forces.

Welcome viewers. These weekly episodes pay tribute to brave men and women who served our country with honor. This video and your respectful comments are memorial tributes to our fallen soldiers.

Please use the search feature at the top right hand corner type in a name to find video tributes. Also, we now have a FaceBook page and invite you to join our conversations at http://www.facebook.com/pages/USFallenorg/142272661291 .
We tweet and notify our followers of new postings @usfallen_org and we use #SOT, #MilitaryMon, #honorfallen.

Fallen Description:

Lance Cpl. David R. Baker, 22, of Painesville, OH.,
Spc. Kyle A. Coumas, 22, of Lockeford, CA.,
Spc. Michael A. Dahl Jr., 23, of Moreno Valley, CA.,
Staff Sgt. Bradley Espinoza, 26, of Mission, TX.,
Spc. Jesus O. Flores, Jr., 28, of La Mirada, CA.,
Spc. Anthony G. Green, 28, of Matthews, N.C.,
Spc. Daniel C. Lawson, 33, of Deerfield Beach, FL.,
Pfc. Daniel J. Rivera, 22, of Rochester, N.Y.,
Sgt. Christopher M. Rudzinski, 28, of Rantoul, IL.,
Staff Sgt. Chris N. Staats, 32, of Fredericksburg, TX.,
Staff Sgt. Glen H. Stivison, Jr., 34, of Blairsville, PA.,
Pfc. Brandon M. Styer, 19, of Lancaster, PA.

Music
“End Credits”
Glory Soundtrack
“TAPS”

Photos/Resources
www.defenselink.mil
www.dailykos.com
www.facebook.com/group/ourfallenussoldiers
www.militarycity.com
www.myspace.com/fallenussoldiersmemorial

Video Production
USFallen.org
Jerry Castillo
Producer

Week ending Oct. 17, 2009 the US Department of Defense released the names of 4 military personnel who died, while serving in the United States armed forces.

Welcome viewers. These weekly episodes pay tribute to brave men and women who served our country with honor.  This video and your respectful comments are memorial tributes to our fallen soldiers.

A grateful nation honors your service.  Your battle is over; rest in peace. Your courage, for our country, will forever be etched in our minds and hearts.

Fallen Description:

Spc. George W. Cauley, 24, of Walker, MN.

Lance Cpl. Alfonso Ochoa Jr., 20, of Armona, CA.

Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor, 27, of Bovey, MN.

Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, N.M.

Music

“They’ll Remember You”

From: Valkyrie Soundtrack

“TAPS”

Photos/Resources

www.defenselink.mil

www.duluthnewstribune.com

www.honoluluadvertiser.com

www.militarycity.com

USFallen.org  Video Production

Jerry Castillo

Producer

Master Sgt. Kenneth Mack

Marine Master Sgt. Kenneth N. Mack
42, of Fort Worth, Texas; assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, II MEF, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 5 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed was Cpl. Charles O. Palmer II.

Our First Gold Star Memorial in DC

By: Timothy Mack Oct. 2009

When we first heard of the remembrance ceremony in Washington I was wary because of the emotional toll ceremonies place on me and my family. Ken was special, every soldier lost was special but Ken was our family – my Big brother. In my heart no one can honor these men enough; Ken was fearless and often shared with me what combat was like. On his first tour I asked if he had ever fired his weapon in anger and he got quiet then told me about an attack on his convoy which killed several insurgents. Our men are professionals who just want to get the job done and Ken tried to help the Iraqis.

Mack Brothers

When my family (Mom and younger brother) arrived in Washington we went to Arlington Cemetery. We always do this first, even 11 years ago, the last time we were in DC. Ken, mom and I got a picture in front of the Iwo Jima statue. We are a military family; my dad served for 26 years and in Vietnam. We wanted to visit Ted Kennedy’s grave and the graves of our most distinguished service men and women.
The first remembrance ceremony was a formal dinner in the Hilton ballroom Friday night. This was a magnificent room, the same room used for the White House Correspondents dinner. There were several distinguished speakers and guests like Ross Perot and various Generals and Congressmen, but I was struck by the people who were at our table #46. There were several mothers who had lost their sons in combat. My mother was asked about Ken and I could feel her grief again when she described how he had been killed and honored with a post office and a building at Camp Lejune. After dinner, I excused myself and went to smoke. I stood by the street corner far away from the guests coming and going; I needed to think, there were so many sad stories told.
On the way back I saw a man who had a remembrance ceremony badge around his neck like mine and I introduced myself; he commented on my Gold Star pin and began to tell me about his son. His son was a Navy medic who was wounded by a sniper when he went to deliver an Iraqi baby. This medic had a chance to go home but he stayed and was later killed by another sniper months later. He was from Indiana. When his son was killed they found a Colts jersey under his uniform, he was a diehard Indy Colts fan and even took them to combat.
After I returned to the ceremony my mother and brother had gone to bed,

Gold Star Wash. DC 2009

they were very tired and didn’t want to miss the ceremony on the Senate grounds. One of our table mates asked me to sit next to her for the next speeches. She was a very sweet lady who was from Arkansas who lost her son last year. The next speaker was a general who came to speak about sacrifice. He had two sons, one committed suicide after returning from Iraq, his second son was killed in combat 8 months later. He spoke about the agony of losing two sons to Iraq but that his faith got him through. Faith and Scotch got me through; I drank so much scotch in 2007 I named our new dog “Whiskey”. I know everyone in the room could relate, at least in part, to his loss. The take away from the ceremony was that we have to keep all of our service members alive by telling their stories.
One of the organizers shared her story of a gravely wounded Green Beret soldier in Vietnam, who made her promise then to do something to tell the story of his fellow soldiers killed on a mission. He then gave her his scarf to seal the deal. His last thoughts were not for himself but for his men. I couldn’t help but think of my brother who didn’t have to go back to Iraq, he volunteered because he knew his soldiers would see intense action and he wanted to make sure they were confident and ready. I was reminded that he told me when I visited him before his deployment, that if he were to be killed that it was just “his time” and not to worry. Ken was fearless! A reporter from the Des Moines register wrote a story about my brother called “Night convoy to Ramidi”. For anyone who hasn’t met Ken, this gives a good snapshot of his character and soul.
After the last speaker, they brought out a country band, me and about 30 other African Americans started heading for the exit; no disrespect but not my kind of entertainment. I didn’t want to go to bed so I went to the bar. I met a woman who worked at the State Department. After a few drinks, she stuck to beer me to scotch, she told me some enlightening observations about partisan politics, race, foreign policy and other items.
After my bar adventure I spent some time walking around North DC that night; feeling overdressed, I returned to the Hilton. The next morning I just missed a chance to get a picture of Ross Perot. Our family left for the senate grounds for the second ceremony. I saw everyone from the night before and heard more speakers like Kevin Bacon and Perot. The ceremony was awesome

Gold Star of Texas in Wash. DC 2009

especially several 4 star generals saluting the children of the fallen. After the ceremony we were asked to assemble at our state’s flag (TEXAS) for pictures. I got to meet more people for some awesome pictures, we all hugged and left. My mother was so proud of Ken and told me that she was glad she was able to go. This made the whole thing worthwhile for me. Gold Star moms have a special burden because of the loss of their children; now that I’m a parent I think I understand.
God bless America.