Freedom Remembered

Spc. Thomas P. Murach, 22, of Meridian, Idaho died May 4, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He graduated from High School in Meridian, Idaho, in 2008. Specialist Murach enlisted in the Army on 24 August 2010. He attended the fourteen-week long Infantry Training Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Specialist Murach’s first duty assignment was Fort Bliss, Texas, where he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment and was selected to be a member of the Reconnaissance Platoon as a Sniper. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as the Senior Sniper for his Platoon. Specialist Murach’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Specialist Murach is survived by his mother, and his brother. Idaho State Veterans Cemetery

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Spc. Brandon J. Prescott, 24, of Bend, Ore., died May 4, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He attended the fourteen-week long Infantry Training Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Specialist Prescott’s first duty assignment was Fort Bliss, Texas, where he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment as a member of the Reconnaissance Platoon. Shortly after arriving to Fort Bliss, he set himself apart from his peers in the platoon and was assigned as the Assistant Team Leader. He deployed to Afghanistan on 12 December 2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

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Spc. Trinidad Santiago Jr., 25, of San Diego, Calif., died May 2, in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. Santiago joined the Army on Oct. 13, 2009 and deployed to Kuwait in February. He had previously deployed to Afghanistan in December of 2010. He was also a cannoneer while deployed to Kuwait. He attended Herbert Hoover High School, Class of 2005. He also attended Coleman University. His military decorations include: the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Ribbon, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the NATO Medal. Miramar National Cemetery

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Born: January 8, 1992
Died: May 2, 2013 in Kuwait

Pfc. Charles P. McClure, 21, of Stratford, Okla., died May 2, in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. McClure joined the Army on Nov. 1, 2011 and deployed to Kuwait in February. He was serving as a cannoneer. This was his first deployment. Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Fort Leonard Wood

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Staff Sgt. Michael H. Simpson, 30, of San Antonio, Texas, died May 1 in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit on April 27, with an improvised explosive device in Arian, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. In the service for 10 years, SSG Simpson had been stationed in Afghanistan only about two weeks when he was wounded by a bomb while riding an ATV. Simpson enlisted in the Army in April, 2003, as an Infantryman. Upon completion of basic training and Advanced Individual Training, Simpson was assigned to Company D, 3rd Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, as a Rifleman. In 2006, Simpson was assigned to Company C, 2nd Cavalry Regiment and deployed in 2007 as a fire team leader in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Simpson volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course and completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in July 2011. He was assigned to Company C, 4th BN, 1st SFG (A) as a weapons sergeant. He participated in the multilateral exercise Cobra Gold in Thailand in 2012 and recently deployed in support of OEF-A. His military education includes the Special Forces Qualification Course, Warrior Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, Combat Life Savers Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Course, Hazmat Driver Instructor’s Course, Joint Armorers Training Course, and the Basic Airborne Course. His awards and decorations include, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Good Conduct Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral “2″ device, Army Service Ribbon, Special Forces Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

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Capt. Aaron R. Blanchard, 32, of Selah, Wash., died April 23, in Pul-E-Alam, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from enemy indirect fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. Capt Blanchard was a married father of two. He was born and raised in Selah. He served two tours with the Marines in Iraq. After that, he joined the ROTC and graduated from Central Washington University. He remained in the Army and was recently promoted to Captain. He had been in Afghanistan for just a short time. Blanchard, an Apache pilot, joined the Marine Corps in January 2000, and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from January to September 2003. After separating from the Marine Corps and completing an ROTC program Blanchard was commissioned into the Army in June 2009. He completed pilot training at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and arrived at Fort Drum in September 2011. He deployed with his unit to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in April 2013. His awards and decorations include, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the NATO Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Army Aviator Badge, the Navy-Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, four Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and two Rifle Expert Badges. He also completed Marine Combat Training, Aviation Machinist Mate Courses, the Apache Aviator Qualification Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course and the Aviation Officer Basic Course. Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington

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Born: November 28, 1984 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Died: January 20, 2007 in Karbala, Iraq

Spc. Johnathan B. Chism of Prairieville, Louisiana graduated from St. Amant High School and was into sky diving and rock climbing. An LSU fan and Boy Scout, he had been in the service since June 2005, was due to come home for two weeks of rest and relaxation in February. He leaves his father and stepmother, Danny and Vanessa Chism, his mother, Elizabeth Chism, a sister, Spc. Julie Chism, stepbrothers, Eric and Dennis Bourg. The Army presented his family with posthumous awards of the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Badge. He died at age 22 in Karbala, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his patrol was ambushed while conducting dismounted operations. Also killed were, Lieut Jacob Fritz , Pfc. Shawn Falter, Pfc. Johnathon Millican and Capt. Brian Freeman. Hope Haven Garden of Memory in Gonzales, Louisiana
Army
2nd Battalion
377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment
4th Brigade Combat Team
25th Infantry Division
Fort Richardson, Alaska

Born: March 25, 1987 at Fort Rucker, Alabama
Died: April 23, 2013 in Pul-i-Alam, Afghanistan

1st Lt. Robert J. Hess of Fairfax, Virginia died at age 26 in Pul-E-Alam, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from enemy indirect fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. Known best as RJ, he attended Robinson High School where he played football, lacrosse and was the captain of the swim team. He graduated in 2005 and attended Old Dominion University where he also was a member of the university swim team. 1st Lt Hess, a Blackhawk pilot, was commissioned into the Army in November, 2010. After completing pilot training at Fort Rucker, Alabama, he arrived at Fort Drum in November 2012. He deployed with his unit to Afghanistan in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom in April 2013. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the NATO Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Army Aviator Badge. He completed the Aviation Officer Basic Course, the Blackhawk Aviator Qualification Course, the Blackhawk M-Model Aviator Qualification Course, and the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course.  Arlington National Cemetery

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Born: November 10, 1992 in Easley, South Carolina
Died: April 21, 2013 in Landstuhl, Germany

Pfc. Barrett L. Austin of Easley, South Carolina died at age 20 in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, April 17. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga. Barrett attended Pickens High School, graduating in 2011. He joined the Army in December 2011. He trained to be a combat engineer and was shipped to Afghanistan on March 1, 2013. Among those he leaves are his parents, Curt and Yolanda Buck Austin, his wife, Heather; and two sisters, Summer and Jordan. He was a member of Rock Springs Baptist Church in Easley. Hillcrest

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Chief Warrant Officer Jarett M. Yoder, 26, of Mohnton, Pa., died April 9, in Pachir Wa Agam District, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. They were assigned to the1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, 28th Infantry Division, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. Yoder was a 2005 graduate of Oley Valley High School in Oley, Pa., and attended Reading Community College. He joined the military in 2005. He first served in Company C, 1st Battalion 111th Infantry as an infantryman. He was deployed in 2008 to Iraq with Company C and the rest of the 56th Stryker Brigade. He entered the aviation career field in 2010 and served as an aviation life support equipment officer and Apache pilot. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge and Driver and Mechanic Badge.

To be updated…