Week ending Mar. 13, 2010 the US Department of Defense released the names of 7 military personnel who died, while serving in the United States armed forces.  This episode is dedicated to Maj. Gen. (Ret) Hugh Robinson.

Welcome viewers. These weekly episodes pay tribute to brave men and women who answered the call of our country and died while supporting our nation’s wars.   We focus on the warrior as a human whose lives have impacted families, friends, and our neighbors around the 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 www.USFallen.org for family tributes, videos of military funerals and homecomings. We have centralized other key resources for survivors and returning veterans.

Our other channels include:

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Fallen Description:

Sgt. Aaron M. Arthur, 25, of Lake City, S.C.

203rd Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

Spc. Lakeshia M. Bailey, 23, of Columbus, Ga. 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook, 19, of Hungry Horse, Mont., 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy.

Spc. Alan N. Dikcis, 21, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., 630th Engineer Company (Clearance), 7th Engineer Battalion (Combat Effects), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat) (Airborne), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble, 20, of Sugarland, Texas, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Pfc. Jason M. Kropat, 25, of White Lake, N.Y. 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson, 24, of Bald Knob, Ark. 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Major General Hugh Robinson (ret), age 78, of Desoto, TX.  USACE HQ, Engineer Battalion, Los Angeles District.

Video Description:

Music

Courage Under Fire – James Horner

Taps – US Army Ceremonial Band, Pershing’s Own

Photos/Resources

defenselink.mil

militarycity.com

missoulian.com

recordonline.com

scnow.com

USFallen.org  Video Production

Jerry Castillo

Producer

This episode also includes a courtesy photo for a soldier previously reported on.Week ending Jan. 30, 2010 the US Department of Defense released the names of 7 active military personnel who died, while serving in the United States armed forces. The DoD also announced the return of one MIA from the Vietnam War.

Welcome viewers. These weekly episodes pay tribute to brave men and women who answered the call of our country and died while supporting our nation’s wars. We focus on the warrior as a human whose lives have impacted families, friends, and our neighbors around the 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 www.USFallen.org for family tributes, videos of military funerals and homecomings. We have centralized other key resources for survivors and returning veterans.

Fallen Description:

Army Specialist (former MIA) Lawrence L. Aldrich, 20 of Fort Worth, Texas. Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503 Infantry, 173 Airborne Brigade
Sgt. Daniel M. Angus, 28, of Thonotosassa, Fla. 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Pfc. Scott G. Barnett, 24, of Concord, Calif., 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Katterbach, Germany.
Sgt. Carlos E. Gill, 25, of Fayetteville, N.C., 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Lance Cpl. Jeremy M. Kane, 22, of Towson, Md., 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Xin Qi, 25, of Cordova, Tenn., 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Marine Expeditionary Brigade – Afghanistan.
Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Video Description:

Music
Now We Are Free
Taps

Photos/Resources
defenselink.mil
firstcoastnews.com
sfgate.com
seattlepi.com
thenewstribune.com
txpgr.org

USFallen.org Video Production
Jerry Castillo
Producer

December 12, 2009, Dallas Ft. Worth National Cemetery ceremonies for the annual Wreaths Across America were held at 11:00 hours. It was a cool overcast day with scattered rain with approximately 100 people gathered to honor veterans.
Members of the Irving High School Marine Jr. ROTC were on hand to serve as honor guards. Participants included the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), Crusader Composite Squadron and their cadets conducted the ceremonies.

Wreaths were presented to honor each branch of the military including the Merchant Marines, POW and MIA soldiers.
Presenters:

Army – Capt. (veteran) Clint Bond
USMC – MSgt. Doug Compton
USN – CAP CADET CA1C Samantha Hutto
USAF – CAP CADET CSSGT Ryan Pigeon
USCG – Lt. Billy Buck
USMM – ESGN. Tom Ludlum
POW & MIA – CAP CADET Capt. Robert Severance

After the ceremonies the crowd gathered around various distribution points and began to place a wreath with a single red bow at tombstones of our fallen.

More information:

The Wreaths Across America, story began over 18 years ago when the
Worcester Wreath Company from Harrington, Maine initiated a tradition of
donating and placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation’s fallen heroes at
Arlington National Cemetery. Recognition of the service and sacrifice of our
veterans, and their families, is especially poignant during the traditional holiday
season.

Worcester Wreath Company continues to be a major supporter of the project,
donating over 25,000 total wreaths in 2008. Over 100,000 wreaths will be
sponsored by individuals, businesses, and groups from communities Nation-wide.
Wreaths will be placed in all 50 states from Maine to Alaska and Hawaii, at
several locations is Iraq, and at 24 national cemeteries on foreign soil.
For people who wish to support the project, wreath sponsorships are available
online. A complete list of participating locations is available on the website at
www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 58,000 members nationwide. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 72 lives in fiscal year 2009. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counter-drug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 23,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for 68 years.”

Video Production:

Music
US Army Field Band
Greensleeves
Silent Night

Video
USFallen.org
Jerry Castillo – Producer

November 25, 2009, Army Spc. Joseph M. Lewis.
His flag draped coffin arrived by a charter plane at 11:20 a.m., Wednesday, at Majors Airfield in Greenville, TX. To welcome him home were members of his family, friends, fire department, police department, Army Reserves, 1st Calvary of Ft. Hood, and PGR of North Texas.
SPC Joseph Michael Lewis, of Terrell, died on Nov. 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED.

He was born Sept. 25, 1983 in Dallas and attended L.D. Bell High School in Hurst, as well as Trinity Valley Community College in Terrell. SPC Lewis completed basic training at Fort Knox in Kentucky in 2005. He was a Calvary Scout at Camp Casey in Korea for 1 1/2 years and at Fort Lewis in Washington before being deployed to Afghanistan. SPC Lewis was serving in Afghanistan in the 8th squadron, 1st Calvary Regiment, on the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Joseph is survived by his wife, his infant daughter, parents, sister and her husband and their three children and three grandparents, as well as, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and a host of friends who loved him dearly.

Once the plane landed it was given a fire truck water bridge salute. There was a somber transfer of the casket from the plane to a white coach. The family gathered around to welcome him home. Afterward, the procession was escorted by the state, local police and fire department. Also providing a motorcycle escort were members of the North Texas Patriot Guard Riders. The journey began with flag lined streets out of Majors Airfield and citizens of Greenville held signs, waved flags and held their hands over their hearts, while others saluted in a sign of respect. The procession continued south on Highway 34 south through the towns of Cash and Quinland.

As the procession entered the city limits of Terrell the streets were lined with flags and citizens came out to welcome the fifth fallen soldier since 2003. Finally, the procession arrived at the funeral home decorated with hundreds of small flags in the front lawn. Once the casket was taken inside the parents of Joseph spoke to the press. His mother spoke of her son’s bravery. His father said, “We are celebrating his life because that is how he would have wanted it,” as his voice began to break with emotion.

The entire family then made their way into the funeral home for a private viewing. Interment services are scheduled for Saturday.

Video description:
Music –
If You’re Reading This
Somebody’s Someone

Video Production
USFallen.org
Jerry Castillo – Producer

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Nov. 19, 2009 – Shawn Patrick Hefner, 22, of Hico, Texas; assigned to 2nd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Nov. 13 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was promoted to be a Marine lance corporal on Nov. 1 and scheduled to return to his home base at Camp Lejeune, N.C., within a week.

His flagged draped coffin was returned to Waco, TX, and was escorted by Patriot Guard Riders of North and Central Texas. The journey took the procession from Waco to his hometown of Hico, which is located in the heart of Texas. The procession drove through several small towns and communities. The highway was lined by citizens waving American flags as a sign of respect and gratitude for his sacrifice on their behalf. Many of the citizens place their hands over their hearts others saluted and many were overcome with emotion.

As his procession arrived in Hico the entire town of 1300 citizens greeted their hero home. An equestrian group paraded down Main Street and made a circle around the funeral home.

LCpl. Hefner was fun-loving and fearless, said his father, Patrick Hefner of Hico. “He was an outdoorsman,” said his father, a former Marine. “He loved to fish and camp. If it could be done outdoors, that’s where he wanted to be.”

LCpl. Hefner was born Dec. 4, 1986, in Kansas City, Mo., and moved with his family to Hico in 1991. He was a 2006 graduate of Hico High School.

He joined the Marines in January 2008 and was deployed to Afghanistan in June. Almost immediately, he demonstrated his toughness, when he received a concussion after his Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle was rocked by an explosion.

His mother, Robin Hefner of Hico, had instructed her son to document his tour of duty with photographs. LCpl. Hefner faithfully carried out his mother’s request – even after that attack.

“They were carting him off in helicopters, and he was lying on his back taking pictures of his buddies up in front of him,” his father said.
In addition to his mother and father, LCpl. Hefner leaves behind a brother, a sister, a grandfather, and a grandmother.

Video Description:

Music –
Amazing Grace
God Bless America
Please Remember

Video Production-
USFallen.org
Jerry Castillo – Producer