Sunday, March 27, 2011
Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire
Please join me in supporting the family of:
Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire
DOD Identifies Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died March 22, in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device, rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.
Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire, 28, of Chillicothe, Ohio.
Pfc. Michael C. Mahr, 26, of Homosassa, Fla.
They were assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 18th Engineer Brigade, Bamberg, Germany.
Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire
Staff Sgt. Gire, his wife Jackie and their two young sons
"Dad" playing with his two young sons (family photos)
A 2000 graduate of Huntington High School in southern Ross County was reportedly killed while serving as an Army staff sergeant in Afghanistan, family members told The Times-Gazette Thursday.
Joshua S. Gire, 28, had been stationed in Germany, but was serving a second tour in Afghanistan at the time of his death, according to his cousin Kellie Uhrig, of Columbus, who is speaking on behalf of the family.
The Associated Press reported that the Department of Defense said Gire and 26-year-old Pfc. Michael C. Mahr of Homosassa, Fla. died Tuesday after an attack involving explosives and small arms fire.
However, Uhrig said that at this time no details are available as to the time or exact nature of Gire’s death. She said family members were notified Tuesday evening.
Gire’s mother, Peggy Hunt and her husband Dale reside in Greenfield and Uhrig said the family has friends across the area. Gire, also the son of Paul Gire Jr., had three brothers, Mike Donahue, Paul Gire III, and John Hunt, one sister Beth Hunt and a step-sister Sandy (Hunt) Bourne.
Enlisting in the Army in 2001, prior to 9-11, Gire followed in his father and grandfather’s footsteps. While in Germany, he met his wife, Jackie, and together the couple had two children, Nicholas, 5, and Riley, 3.
“Josh thought the world of Jackie…,” Uhrig said. “He was a wonderful guy who was very proud of his children and very much loved his wife. He was a good son and a good brother… they are a very tight-knit family.”
Uhrig said Gire’s immediate family was traveling to Dover, Del. Thursday, but that it is unknown when Gire’s body will return to the U.S.
“We are hopeful that he will be stateside soon,” she said.
“Josh was from a small community and he was a big part of that small community,” Uhrig said. “He played baseball at Huntington… he was quiet growing up and was just a very respected, wonderful person.
“The family loved Josh a great deal. It’s a huge, huge, huge loss for our family, our country and the communities affected. We are very proud of him.”
They were six days from completing their tours of duty.
Joshua is survived by numerous loving relatives including his wife, Jackie and children Nicholas, age 5 and Riley, age 3; his mother, Peggy Hunt and her husband Dale; father Paul Gire Jr.; brothers, Mike Donahue, Paul Gire III, and John Hunt; one sister Beth Hunt and a step-sister Sandy (Hunt) Bourne.
Pfc. Michael C. Mahr
Please wrap your wings around the family of:
Pfc. Michael C. Mahr
DOD Identifies Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died March 22, in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device, rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.
Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire, 28, of Chillicothe, Ohio.
Pfc. Michael C. Mahr, 26, of Homosassa, Fla.
They were assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 18th Engineer Brigade, Bamberg, Germany.
Pfc. Michael C. Mahr
Michael Mahr with his 3 year old son Jadon
An Army carry team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Army Pfc. Michael C. Mahr of Homosassa.
Stephanie Mahr says she tried to talk to her husband Michael on the telephone every day.
Even for just 10 minutes, so she and the couple's 3-year-old son Jadon could stay in touch.
It wasn't always easy. The phone would drop the call or her husband would be too busy, or exhausted, from his job making sure the roads in Logar Province, Afghanistan, were clear of improvised explosive devices.
She remembers the last call.
It was Monday.
"He told me that there was this mission coming up and he would not be able to have any contact," says Stephanie Mahr. "I told him I felt really scared. I had a really bad feeling about it."
Michael, she says, tried to reassure her.
"He told me the same thing he told me all the time," she says.
I am a good soldier and I am coming home.
Tuesday evening, in a telephone call from her husband's step-father, Stephanie Mahr learned that her "especially bad feeling" was right.
Mahr, an Army private, and Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire of Chillicothe, Ohio, were killed Tuesday riding in their RG-31 Cougar armored car.
"Enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device, rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire," is the official word from the Department of Defense.
Michael Mahr was scheduled to come home in August.
"Everybody loved him," says Stephanie Mahr, talking from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where she is waiting for the military transport carrying her husband. "His Army buddies called him 'Superman.' He didn't have any fear."
Mahr and his twin brother Matthew were born in Orlando, says their mother, Kimberly Albury. She divorced their father, remarried James Albury and moved to Citrus County when the twins were about eight, she says.
"There were eight kids all together in the house," she says. "There was never a dull moment."
The twins, she says, were especially close.
They played football together at Sumter High School in Bushnell, where they were both offensive lineman. They went to work together at Walmart.
"When Michael made the decision to go into the Army, it was hard on Matthew," says Albury. "It was hard on Matt. Hard on both of them being apart."
Sumter High football coach Inman Sherman says he, too, was struck by the closeness of the twins.
"You seldom saw one without the other,'' Stewart says. "If you saw one, the other was within 10 feet."
"Matthew is very torn up about it," his wife, Carly, wrote in an email on their way to Dover. "They were extremely close. Even while he was stationed overseas they did not go a day with out talking online or by phone. When they get together they orbit each other. If one moves the other mirrors it perfectly."
Michael Mahr "was your typical 26-year-old video game junkie," recalls his mother. "He loved X-Box. He loved the Gators. Loved, loved the Gators. He liked to go to rock concerts."
Albury says tried to dissuade her son when he told her he wanted to join the Army.
"I said, 'We already have a daughter in the Army, you won't make it through basic training.' He had a bad tendon in the ankle and couldn't work but it never bothered him."
Albury says she found out about her son's death when the men in uniform showed up at her door.
They didn't have to say a word, she says.
"We knew."
Stephanie Mahr says she first met her future husband when the two were working together at a Walmart in North Carolina in 2006.
"Actually, it never even crossed my mind" that she would one start dating her co-worker.
Then one night, sparks flew.
"He came in, looked good and smelled good and something clicked," Stephanie Mahr says.
A few months later, in April, 2007, they were married. Then Jadon was born. And they moved to Homosassa.
Initially, Mahr wasn't itching to enlist.
"He never really wanted to," she says. "Once he got out of Walmart, he never wanted to do anything. Then he went to a recruiter and it was like he was meant to be in the Army."
Stephanie Mahr says as a military brat herself, she knew all about that life.
"I was scared," she says. "He is my life and I didn't want him to go."
But he went.
He enlisted April 26, 2010, and at first went to Germany. He came home and left for Afghanistan on Nov. 2, Jadon's third birthday.
Mahr, she says, became a "great soldier." He was up for the Soldier of the Month in Afghanistan," she says, "because everyone said he was the best RG driver."
It is no easy task. The vehicle is extremely heavy and you have to watch out for IEDs and the enemy while navigating often treacherous roads.
"I believe they were ambushed," says Stephanie Mahr of her husband's last mission. "I talked to one of his buddies, who he was teaching to drive the RG. He said it was quick."
Stephanie Mahr says she has no idea how she will react when she sees the casket come off the plane.
"There is no way to be ready," she says. "I still don't believe it. He promised me every day he would be home. He said the same thing every time we talked."
Honey, you ain't got to worry about me. We are the Expendables.
"The platoon called themselves 'The Expendables," says Stephanie Mahr. "They were the baddest ass crew out there."
Stephanie Mahr says she doesn't know her son will react to seeing the plane either.
"He knows a military plane will be here," she says. "And I have explained to him what is going to happen, but I don't think he will fully understand. He misses his daddy terribly."
Mahr's unit in Germany will hold a memorial service for him.
Stephanie Mahr says it is too early to make plans for a funeral for her husband here.
She doesn't know how to begin setting up a memorial fund.
But she does have a message to anyone who cares about those who are serving and want to help. "They need to communicate with their families."
Phone cards trump popcorn, she says.
"One thing I want people to know is that all the things they send to soldiers is great, but one thing that makes it really hard on them is not being able to communicate. Internet is very, very expensive over there. Soldiers have to pay $200 a month for Internet service. We have to buy phone cards and it all adds up."
BROOKSVILLE — His life cut short by the enemy, there are many things Army Pfc. Michael C. Mahr will never get the chance to do.
But as his mother, Kim Albury, waited for her 26-year-old son's remains to land at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Thursday, she found solace in the satisfying life he'd made for himself.
Mahr, who most recently lived in Homosassa, was happily married. He had three children. And seven years after his 2003 graduation from South Sumter High School in Bushnell, he'd found his calling.
"He beamed when he talked about the Army," Albury said. "He finally found his niche. That was what he was meant to do."
Natives of Orlando, Mahr and his twin brother, Matt, were two of eight children, including four step siblings. The boys didn't know their biological father, but their mother has married twice since their birth and both stepfathers — Jeff Salle and her current husband of 20 years, James Albury Jr. — played important roles in their lives, she said.
The twins thought about joining the Army together straight out of high school, but the Iraq war gave Michael pause, his mother said. They got jobs at Walmart.
Michael married in April 2007. His wife, Stephanie, has two sons from a previous marriage who live in Vermont — Caleb, 12, and Scott, 10 — so the family lived there and in New York for a while before returning to Florida in 2009. They had a son together, Jadon Michael, now 3 years old.
When Michael's sister, Melanie, enlisted in the Army, he started thinking hard about the service, Albury said. He talked to a recruiter and enlisted in April, cranking out push ups and sit ups to drop a few pounds before basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Before Mahr left, he had a long conversation with Albury's stepfather, a Baptist minister. Michael was never very religious, but he got saved, she said.
Before he left for Afghanistan, Mahr finally got to share his passion with his son. "He couldn't wait until Jadon was old enough to go fishing," Albury said.
They headed off to a little Homosassa lake, and Albury cherishes the memory of father and son in tank tops, shorts, and baseball caps turned backward.
While Michael was abroad, Stephanie got them a place in Inverness. He hadn't seen it yet.
Stephanie told Jadon that Daddy had passed away and gone to heaven.
"We're pretty confident he knows what heaven is," Albury said, "but you just don't know.
Albury said Mahr will be buried close to home, at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.
As his father's casket came off the plane Thursday, Jadon, 3, held a U.S. flag.
"He said he was waving it at his dad," Albury said.
Homosassa -- A Citrus County man was among the two soldiers who were killed Tuesday in Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense announced that Pfc. Michael C. Mahr, of Homosassa, died in Logar province when his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device, rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.
Mahr was 26 years old.
Family members and friends say Mahr always dreamed of a career in the military.
"He was a great kid," his uncle, Scott Chaffee, said. "He was outgoing, a joy to be around. He'd do anything for you."
"He loved his wife, loved his son, loved his family, very family-oriented," Mahr's friend, Stephen Walters, said.
Walters was a longtime friend of Mahr's who decided to become a police officer while Mahr joined the Army.
He says Mahr was more than a friend, he was like a brother.
"The last time I got to see him was before he got deployed and I asked him to come back to the states," Walters said. "And this is just really hard -- me dealing with this."
Both Walters and Mahr spent their high school years at South Sumter where Mahr is being remembered today.
"He was well-liked by classmates, teachers, everybody on the staff," coach Rusty Irby said. "Never gave a problem and obviously very patriotic. He talked about being in the military while in high school."
Mahr played football right alongside his twin brother Matt. Coach Rusty Irby says it was nearly impossible to tell them apart.
"I just called them Mahr Mahr because you couldn't tell who was Mike and who was Matt without their jerseys on to identify themselves," Irby said. "They were that close."
Also killed was Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Gire, 28, of Chillicothe, Ohio.
They were assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 18th Engineer Brigade, Bamberg, Germany.
Pfc. Mahr is survived by his wife Stephanie and their 3 year old son Jadon, two step son Caleb, 12, and Scott, 10, living in Vermont; his mother and step father, Kimberly and James Albury from Homosassa; his twin brother Matthew and sister-in-law Carly Mahr of FL; step sister Melanie; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins as well as friends.
Friday, March 25, 2011
GEARING UP FOR NEXT MONTH: April is Month of the Military Child...C.A.M.O.
April is Month of the Military Child
Highlighting the important role military children play in the armed forces community, Month of the Military Child is a time to applaud military families and their children for the daily sacrifices they make and challenges they overcome. Military children face many obstacles unique to their situation, such as having a parent deployed for extended periods of time and frequently being uprooted from school.
Throughout the month, military commands and communities across the nation will plan special events to honor military children. These events will stress the importance of providing children with quality services and support to help them succeed in the mobile military lifestyle. Soldiers' Angels honors the military child with our Soldiers' Angels Month of the Military Child proclamation (available for download at www.soldiersangels.org.)
In honor of our nation's military children, Soldiers' Angels will be kicking off a new initiative in honor of KIDS SERVE TOO called "C.A.M.O." or Creative Arts Military Operation.
C.A.M.O. is founder Patti Patton-Baders' vision for the new reading and arts program for military kids. Angels are encouraged to create this program across the nation, especially where there is not active FRGs or where National Guard families don't have the built-in support system that active duty families do.
The major focus is hosting interactive story times as a starting point with the vision to branch into theatre arts music and crafts with the children. C.A.M.O. is an opportunity for Angels to support military families and assist the children to advance in their reading and language skills in a fun way. During the storytime, children have the opportunity to do activities that promote development and learning. Angels wanting to start up this program are encouraged to contact ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org
Another great Soldiers' Angels team to join in honor of the military child is Operation Top Knot, a nationwide network of service clubs and individuals who sew, knit and shop to create gift baskets for infants and expectant mothers in military families. Team members knit, crochet, sew, quilt, and design blankets, booties, hats, onesies, bibs, and many more homemade gifts. They also assemble and deliver gift baskets full of goodies such as bottles, diapers, onesies, pacifiers, washcloths, grooming kits, and more. Additionally, they make sure to remember Dad by sending "It's a Boy!" or "It's a Girl!" bubblegum cigars to wherever he is stationed. Join Operation Top Knot today.
During Month of the Military Child, Soldiers' Angels salutes Operation Military Kids (OMK) with their nationwide partnership of military and civilian organizations that coordinate social, recreational, and educational opportunities for school-age military kids in their communities. OMK encourages partners like 4-H clubs, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the American Legion to sponsor Month of the Military Child local events. Visit their website for more information and some great ideas to support the children of our United States Armed Forces!
Soldiers' Angels Month of the Military Child Proclamation:
Whereas, Thousands of brave Americans have demonstrated their
courage and commitment to freedom by serving the armed forces of the
United States of America in active duty posts around the world; and,
Whereas, More than 40 percent of these soldiers, sailors, airmen, and
Marines have left families with children behind; and,
Whereas, More than one million of America's children have at least
one parent currently serving active military duty; and,
Whereas, These children are a source of pride and honor to us all,
and it is only fitting that we take time to recognize their contributions,
celebrate their spirit, and let our men and women in uniform know that
while they're taking care of us, we're taking care of their children; and,
Whereas, The recognition of the "Month of the Military Child" will
allow us to pay tribute to military children for their commitment, their
struggles and their unconditional support of our troops, because when
parents serve in the military, their Kids Serve Too; and,
Whereas, A month-long salute to military children will encourage
support for "Kids Serve Too" and other organizations and campaigns
established to provide direct support to military children and families;
and now therefore be it, Resolved, That Soldiers' Angels does hereby
proclaim April, as The Month of the Military Child.
We encourage Americans to observe the month with appropriate ceremonies
and activities that honor, support and thank military children.
Patti Patton-Bader
Founder and CEO of Soldiers' Angels
www.SoldiersAngels.org
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
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Saturday, March 19, 2011
A number you should know.... 6065
Many years ago, a conversation was had with Major Mike McNamara in regards to his Marines that were killed in action. He said one can not explain the feeling of going through the belongings that were being boxed up to send back to the loved ones in the USA. The tee shirt that was worn the day before that still had the smell of sweat, knowing the wife would cling to that shirt forever more. The photos of the 6 year old girl riding her bike for the first time or the toddler's first steps that were never personally witnessed by the hero. Boxing it all up. Shipping it back to the USA full well knowing that at that very moment in time, the family has yet to know of the tidal wave that is coming their way. A tidal wave.
Today, as I ponder on that tidal wave, after reading the DoD listing the number 6065 rings through my mind. America needs to support the families of the fallen heroes, as it is not a tidal wave coming at us, it is a tsunami.
How can you help? We have a great team at Soldiers' Angels called Living Legends. They are sensitive in the support of the fallen heroes families. Is this the team for you? Read more here. We need your help. Today is your day to make a difference.
Shelle Michaels
ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org
Soldiers' Angels National Communication Officer
Friday, March 18, 2011
Fellow Angels:
Please wrap your wings around the family and friends of Sgt. 1st Class DaeHan Park
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Dae Han Park, 36, of Watertown, Conn. died March 12, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rdBattalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash
A graduate of Watertown High School, Park enlisted in the Army in 1998 as an infantryman. He earned his ranger qualification tab in 2000, then deployed to Iraq in 2003 as a rifle squad leader, according to the Army.
In 2006, Park completed a course to join the Army's Special Forces and was assigned to his current unit as a Special Forces communications sergeant. He served in Bangladesh, Iraq, the Philippines, Cambodia, India and Afghanistan.
Park received numerous awards and decorations including the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
He is survived by his wife, Mi Kyong Park, daughters Niya and Sadie, parents Joseph and Bonnie Schneider of Thomaston, and sister and brother, Katie and Saejin of Watertown, according to the Army. He lived in Lacey, Wash.
Please wrap your wings around the family and friends of Sgt. 1st Class DaeHan Park
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Dae Han Park, 36, of Watertown, Conn. died March 12, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rdBattalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash
A graduate of Watertown High School, Park enlisted in the Army in 1998 as an infantryman. He earned his ranger qualification tab in 2000, then deployed to Iraq in 2003 as a rifle squad leader, according to the Army.
In 2006, Park completed a course to join the Army's Special Forces and was assigned to his current unit as a Special Forces communications sergeant. He served in Bangladesh, Iraq, the Philippines, Cambodia, India and Afghanistan.
Park received numerous awards and decorations including the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
He is survived by his wife, Mi Kyong Park, daughters Niya and Sadie, parents Joseph and Bonnie Schneider of Thomaston, and sister and brother, Katie and Saejin of Watertown, according to the Army. He lived in Lacey, Wash.
Fellow Angels,
Please wrap your wings around the family and friends of Spc. Andrew P. Wade:
The Department of Defense announced March 10 the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Andrew P. Wade, 22, of Antioch, Ill., died March 9 in Kunduz province, Afghanistan, as a result of a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
SPC Andrew Paul Wade, 22 years old of Antioch, IL passed away Wednesday, March 9, 2011 while serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.
He was born February 27, 1989 in Fort Hood, TX, the son of Douglas and Elizabeth (Hagedorn) Wade. He grew up in Antioch and was a member of St. Peter Church. Andrew was a 2007 graduate of Antioch Community High School where he was a very active soccer player. He started with the varsity team for two years; one of which he was one of the few juniors to aid the team in winning the regional and divisional championships including the North Suburban Conference Prairie Division crown, assisting on one of the two goals that led to the victory. He was named for All-Sectional Honors by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association and the Daily Herald All-Area Team in 2006. Andrew also played with the Chicago Kickers Soccer Club for six years.
He joined the U.S. Army in September 2008 as a 5th generation soldier and completed his basic training at Fort Benning, GA. Andrew was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY.
In spring of 2010 he was deployed to serve in Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom. He earned many decorations and awards including the NATO Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Survivors include his parents, Elizabeth and Douglas Wade of Antioch; his sister Alicia (Damon) Litchfield of Avondale, AZ, two brothers, Steven and Jonathan Wade, both of Antioch.
"He's not only like a best friend to me, he's like a brother, someone you can't replace in life. And the memories we're all going to remember, we're going to take that with us and always remember what a great person he was," said Steve McNutt, friend.
Statement from Spc. Andrew Wade's Family
ANTIOCH - Spc. Andrew Wade, 22 of Antioch, died March 9 in Afghanistan as a result of a non-combat related incident. The incident is still under investigation. Andrew was an active duty Soldier assigned to the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y.
Funeral arrangements have not been made at this time.
During this time, Andrew’s family politely wishes not to be interviewed. However, they have released the following statement:
Nothing compares to what our family is experiencing at this time, with the loss of Andrew. He was devoted to his friends, family and above all, his country. Andrew joined the Army about a year after he graduated from high school and he was proud of his service in the Army and his commitment to his fellow brothers and sisters in uniform. That service and commitment made us extremely proud of the man Andrew became. He truly is our hero and we will always cherish each moment we have had with him in the last 22 years. Although we appreciate everyone’s prayers and support, there have been other Soldiers killed or injured while in combat, and we ask for you to think of them and support their families, along with Andrew, at this time. We thank you for your support during this difficult time and ask the media to respect our wishes to not be interviewed.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Angels Store Gear-- Get 15% off!
| Soldiers' Angels Store Till tomorrow only! Get 15% off your entire order at our Angels' Store! Get your LTD. ED. Shirt of the Month!  Or send your soldier a snack or hygiene pack!  Coupon Code: angels15 www.angelsstore.org |
Operation Tenshi is complete..
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