Finished Mural
The mural is (or so I thought) finished. Unfortunately, one of the design parameters I included will now have to be put into use. I purposely left space on the side “In Honor Of” in case our task force lost any other soldiers. Within 2 weeks of completion, we’ve lost three. Please realize that EVERYONE in our task force feels the loss when one of our own is lost. Their deaths impact all of us in that we feel pain and loss for who they were and who they’ve left behind.
To look at our task force would make one wonder, “how did they come into existence, much less work together in such harsh conditions and circumstances?” Our task force is a direct reflection of what the United States was founded on. “E Pluribus Unum” Out of Many, One. We have soldiers from all over America working as one single entity. These soldiers were from Nebraska and Minnesota. It didn’t matter to anyone where they were from they served the United States and freedom honorably, they were loved by all of us, they are missed by all of us.
At this time, I am still making the paint preparations to add their names but, I will include them in this entry.
They are:
SSG Joshua R. Hanson - Hanson died a hero while protecting his country and fighting for freedom on Wednesday, August 30th, 2006, near Khalidiyah, Iraq. A statement from his family said, “Josh was a wonderful and loving son and a great friend. He was proud to serve his country as duty called. We can’t express enough how proud we are that he was willing to lay down his life for all of us. He and his comrades are real heroes.” SSG Hanson was assigned to the Minnesota Army National Guard’s Alpha Company, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion 136th Infantry, based in Detroit Lakes, Minn.
SGT Germaine L. Debro - Debro, 33, of Omaha, Neb, died on Sept. 4 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Debro was assigned to the Army National Guard 1st Squadron, 167th Cavalry Regiment, Fremont, Neb. He leaves behind his Mother (Priscilla), Father (Alvin Sr.), and two brothers. He had been in Iraq for about 7 months, and was scheduled to come home in October to help celebrate his brothers 21st birthday.
SSG Jeffrey J. Hansen - 31-year-old Hansen of Cairo, Neb., died on Aug. 27, in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered on Aug. 21 from a vehicle accident in Balad, Iraq was survived by his wife, Jennifer, and his father, Robert Hansen of Bertrand who were with him when he died. The Guard said Hansen was born in Minden, Nebraska and graduated from high school in Bertrand. In 1997 he was awarded a bachelor's degree in athletic training from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Hansen joined the Guard in January 2000 and had moved up the ranks to become a fire support sergeant. He served with the 167th in Bosnia as part of a peacekeeping force, from late 2002 until mid-2003.
My heartfelt sympathies go out to their families and their friends. I hope that they may find comfort in the fact that their loved ones believed in being part of something greater than themselves: Freedom.
To look at our task force would make one wonder, “how did they come into existence, much less work together in such harsh conditions and circumstances?” Our task force is a direct reflection of what the United States was founded on. “E Pluribus Unum” Out of Many, One. We have soldiers from all over America working as one single entity. These soldiers were from Nebraska and Minnesota. It didn’t matter to anyone where they were from they served the United States and freedom honorably, they were loved by all of us, they are missed by all of us.
At this time, I am still making the paint preparations to add their names but, I will include them in this entry.
They are:
SSG Joshua R. Hanson - Hanson died a hero while protecting his country and fighting for freedom on Wednesday, August 30th, 2006, near Khalidiyah, Iraq. A statement from his family said, “Josh was a wonderful and loving son and a great friend. He was proud to serve his country as duty called. We can’t express enough how proud we are that he was willing to lay down his life for all of us. He and his comrades are real heroes.” SSG Hanson was assigned to the Minnesota Army National Guard’s Alpha Company, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion 136th Infantry, based in Detroit Lakes, Minn.
SGT Germaine L. Debro - Debro, 33, of Omaha, Neb, died on Sept. 4 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Debro was assigned to the Army National Guard 1st Squadron, 167th Cavalry Regiment, Fremont, Neb. He leaves behind his Mother (Priscilla), Father (Alvin Sr.), and two brothers. He had been in Iraq for about 7 months, and was scheduled to come home in October to help celebrate his brothers 21st birthday.
SSG Jeffrey J. Hansen - 31-year-old Hansen of Cairo, Neb., died on Aug. 27, in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered on Aug. 21 from a vehicle accident in Balad, Iraq was survived by his wife, Jennifer, and his father, Robert Hansen of Bertrand who were with him when he died. The Guard said Hansen was born in Minden, Nebraska and graduated from high school in Bertrand. In 1997 he was awarded a bachelor's degree in athletic training from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Hansen joined the Guard in January 2000 and had moved up the ranks to become a fire support sergeant. He served with the 167th in Bosnia as part of a peacekeeping force, from late 2002 until mid-2003.
My heartfelt sympathies go out to their families and their friends. I hope that they may find comfort in the fact that their loved ones believed in being part of something greater than themselves: Freedom.
posted by coconut commando at 5:30 PM
1 Comments:
Thank you for telling us about the people who have given so much for us. We need people like you to let us know about them and they deserve to be remembered.
Meg
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