Born: August 23, 1988 in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Died: May 6, 2010 in Helmand, Afghanistan
Lance Cpl. Richard R. Penny of Fayetteville, Arkansas attended Greenland High School where he was a respected athlete with a great personality. He was considered a beast on the football field, and off the field he was a quiet kid with a big heart. Growing up, Richard was an adventurous kid and a bit of a daredevil, and sometimes without much success. He took up riding motorcycles and he wrecked, Four Wheelers, which he also wrecked, and the same story with dirt bikes. But he had fun doing it all. It seemed that the more dangerous it was, the more he liked it. From football plays on the field, to the valleys of Afghanistan, he thrived under the pressure. He was also someone that you could count on. He liked everybody and everybody liked him. Rick had a Jeep that he had recently fixed up, but he gave gave it away to another boy who needed something to drive. That was typical of Richard, he would help anyone he could. He was a hard worker who stood for what he believed in. With a great sense of humor along with those qualities, it’s no wonder he had so many friends. Richard joined the Marine Corps in February of 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan in March of 2010. He was promoted to lance corporal in April. He died at age 21 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Richard is survived by his parents, Merv and Sharon Easterly, his grandmother, Ann Easterly, his brother, Jon McCard and a sister, Jennifer Hall.
Marines
1st Battalion
2nd Marine Regiment
2nd Marine Division
II Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Burial will be at Fayetteville National Cemetery in Fayetteville, Arkansas – Sec 28 Site 424
Birth: December 3, 1982 – Springdale, Arkansas
Died: September 30, 2003 – Balad, Iraq
Spc McGaugh was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He died from a non-hostile gunshot wound.
Burial: Fayetteville National Cemetery, Fayetteville, Arkansas – Section 28, Site 1
Born: February 5, 1974, in Arkansas
Died: March 17, 2010 in Afghanistan
CPO Adam L. Brown of Virginia Beach, Virginia and a native of Hot Springs, Arkansas was a graduate of Lake Hamilton High School in Pearcy, Arkansas before attending Arkansas Tech University where he played football. He joined the Navy in 1998. He had been assigned to various East Coast-based SEAL teams since April of 2001 and was deployed in several combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Adam died at age 36 after being involved in a fight with heavily armed militants somewhere in Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, Kelley and two children, and his parents, Larry and Janice Brown, a brother, Shawn, and a sister Manda. While living in Virginia, he and his family attended Atlantic Shores Baptist Church, in Virginia Beach. He was a twelve year combat veteran, a winner of a bronze star, and purple heart among other awards and decorations. Adam was serving his eighth deployment.
Navy
East Coast based SEAL Team
Burial will be at Cunningham Cemetery in Arkansas
Born: December 24, 1985
Died: March 9, 2010 in Khowst, Afghanistan
Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson of Bald Knob, Arkansas graduated from Bald Knob High School with a 4.0 grade point average. While there, he was a standout football player. Before making the well thought out decision to enlist in the United States Army, Jonathan was employed at Colton’s Steakhouse. Jon joined the Army in June of 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January of 2007 serving as a fire support specialist. His awards and decorations include, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon, and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert. He was awarded the Meritorius Service Medal for his work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jonathan also earned his Combat Badge with distinction in Afghanistan. He was the posthumous recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his actions while serving in Afghanistan. He died at age 24 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms, indirect and rocket-propelled grenade fires. He leaves his wife Rachel, his parents, Sharon and James Dunigan, his brother Jason and a sister Jasmine.
Army
1st Battalion
187th Infantry Regiment
3rd Brigade Combat Team
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Burial is at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock, Arkansas – Sec K Site 647
Birth: December 11, 1962 – Forrest City, Arkansas
Died: March 7, 2004 – Baghdad, Iraq
Capt Jones was assigned to the 31st Combat Support Hospital, Fort Bliss, Texas. She died of heart failure in the Baghdad hospital where she served. Gussie spent much of her youth in Palestine, Arkansas.
Burial: Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, North Little Rock, Arkansas – Section B, Site 110
Birth: March 31, 1977 – North Little Rock, Arkansas
Died: March 25, 2003 – Iraq
HM2 Johnson was assigned to Naval Medical Center, Third Marine Division Detachment, San Diego, California. He was killed in combat when shrapnel from a grenade hit him in the head while he tended a wounded soldier.
Burial: Arkansas Veterans Cemetery, North Little Rock, Arkansas – Section B, Site 68
Born: October 23, 1983
Died: January 26, 2005 in Ar Rutbah, Iraq
Lance Cpl. Brian C. Hooper was from Wynne, Arkansas. Growing up he was a lean and asthmatic, his older brother Patrick sometimes bullied him. He wished to become a Marine and twice visited recruiters in his home state. Both times he was turned down because he had recent knee surgery. So in September 2002, he crossed the state line into Mississippi, visited a recruiter and didn’t mention his knee. He graduated from basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina, straight and proud, surprising his father and brother with his bulked up body and improved mental state. Patrick went home and enlisted in the Marines himself after seeing the changes in Brian. Brian was sent to Hawaii in March 2003 and repeatedly attempted to deploy to Iraq. In September 2004 he got his wish and deployed with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. His brother Patrick deployed with a different unit at the same time. Based at Fallujah and involved in the heavy fighting for control of the area and search for insurgents, on Christmas Eve Brian was hit with grenade shrapnel, earning a Purple Heart. Some of the shrapnel damaged his new knee. Brian only had a few weeks left in his deployment and could have waited it out with his injury, but he couldn’t handle leaving his fellow Marines. He wanted to get back to them. Brian was killed when the CH-53E helicopter he was aboard crashed while reroute to the Syria/Iraq border, killing 30 Marines. His brother Patrick escorted his body home. Their father wondered how Patrick could do such and Patrick told him, Brian would do the same for me. Brian was awarded another Purple Heart posthumously. His father received a paper from the military, which told about Brian’s bravery as a rifleman in the point man position, repeatedly distinguishing himself with heroic actions in the Battle of Fallujah.
Brian was buried in Harris Chapel Cemetery in Wynne, Arkansas.
Birth: February 5, 1987 – West Memphis, Arkansas
Died: October 27, 2009 – Landstuhl, Germany
Spc Charlton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. He died at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related incident October 23 in Wardak, Afghanistan. Robert joined the Army in July 2007 and trained as a Specialist Infantryman. In January 2009, he deployed for the first time to Afghanistan. Robert served with honor and was recognized by earning decorations and awards, including the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and NATO Medal.
Burial: Rosewood First Addition Cemetery, Malden, Missouri
Born: September 11, 1985 in Little Rock, Arkansas
Died: January 3, 2010 near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith of Troy, Illinois was assigned to the 10th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Riley, Kan.; died at age 24 near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations. Senior Airman Smith was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest combat decoration. Smith was recognized for his valor under fire in recovering one wounded comrade and the remains of another who were injured by the explosion of an improvised explosive device. He then helped recover remains of another comrade but was killed when another bomb exploded at a casualty collection point. His family will be presented the medal in a special ceremony in Troy on Sept. 8.
Burial is at Sunset Hill Memorial Estates in Glen Carbon, Illinois
To be updated…
Born: August 12, 1981
Died: November 13, 2007 in Bagram, Afghanistan
2nd Lt. Stuart F. Liles of Hot Springs, Arkansas earned a liberal arts degree at the University of Central Arkansas. After joining the United States Army he arrived to the 82nd in January of 2007 and was assigned to the 122nd ASB as the battalion Adjutant. His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal , the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. Stuart is survived by his wife, Aubre, and his daughter, Aurora and his mother, Kristin Liles. He died at age 26 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident.
Army
122nd Aviation Support Battalion
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade
82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Burial is at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock, Arkansas – Sec L Site 840
