Freedom Remembered

Born: Keystone Heights, Florida
Died: April 26, 2012 in Ghazni, Afghanistan

Sgt. Dick A. Lee Jr., 31, of Orange Park, Fla., died April 26, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Sembach, Germany. Dick lived in Keystone Heights where he attended Keystone Heights High School. His military education includes Special Reaction Team Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Military Working Dog Handler Course and Advanced Leaders Course. His awards and decorations includes five Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, three Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one campaign star, the Iraq Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 2 device, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral 2 device, two NATO medals, the Presidential Unit Citation Award, the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Citation, the Driver’s Badge and the Combat Action Badge. He will be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Purple Heart.

Burial is at Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park, Florida

To be updated…

Pfc. Michael J. Metcalf, 22, Boynton Beach, Fla., died April 22 in Paktia, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. Michael attended Park Vista Community High School before leaving to enroll at the St. John Military Academy in Wisconsin. He enlisted in the United States Army after graduating.

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia

To be updated…

Spc. Daquane D. Rivers, 21, of Marianna, Fla., died March 14, from injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Paktika province, Afghanistan. Rivers was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany. Demetrius, as most people new him, is a 2009 graduate of Marianna High School.

Orange Hill Cemetery

To be updated…

Born: December 4, 1986 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Died: February 23, 2012 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan

Sgt. Joshua A. Born, 25, of Niceville, Fla., died Feb. 23, in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit came under small arms fire. He was assigned to the 385th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Stewart, Ga. He attended Niceville High School and joined the Army March 15, 2007. The unit was deployed to Afghanistan in mid-January. It was his first deployment. Sgt Born was posthumously promoted and awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge and NATO Medal.

Mound City National Cemetery in Mound City, Illinois

Visitation will be from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday, March 5, 2012 at Crain Funeral Home, 829 N. West End Blvd., Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Funeral services for Sgt. Joshua Born will be held at 10:00 AM, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at the funeral home with John Windings officiating. Interment will follow at Mound City National Cemetery with full military honors. Memorials may be made to the family to prepare care packages for Josh’s unit and will be accepted at the funeral home.

To be updated…

Born: January 20, 1991
Died: December 13, 2011 in Landstuhl, Germany

Pfc. Jalfred D. Vaquerano of Apopka, Florida died at age 20 in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered from enemy small-arms fire while deployed in Logar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He attended Forest Lake Academy. Pvt Vaquerano was an Infantryman (MOS 11B) who entered the Army from Tampa, in January 2011. He was previously stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. His awards and decorations include, the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon.

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9827

To be updated…

Born: January 20, 2989 in St. Augustine, Florida
Died: November 16, 2011 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Pfc. Matthew C. Colin of Navarre, Florida died at age 22 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Matthew grew up in Navarre, graduating in 2007 from Navarre High School. He joined the Army in February 2010, completing basic training at Fort Benning and arrived at Fort Wainwright in September 2010.

Burial is at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida – Sec 51 Site 58

To be updated…

Born: January 15, 1986 in Orlando, Florida
Died: November 11, 2011 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Pfc. Theodore B. Rushing of Longwood, Florida died at age 25 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment; 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, N.Y. Teddy joined the Army in March 2011. After training at Fort Benning, GA, he was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division and arrived at Fort Drum in July 2011. He deployed with his unit in August 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards and decorations include, The Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal and the Army Combat Action Badge.

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9858

To be updated…

Born: April 28, 1988
Died: October 13, 2011 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Spc. Jeremiah T. Sancho of Palm Bay, Florida died at age 23 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.  Jerry joined the Army in January, 2010, and after completing training at Fort Benning, Georgia, came to Fort Drum in May 2010. He deployed with his unit in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in March. Sancho’s awards and decorations include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal,and the Combat Action Badge.

To be updated…

Born: October 26, 1983 in Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Died: September 28, 2011 in Ghazni, Afghanistan

1st Lt. Ivan D. Lechowich, 27, of Valrico, Fla., Sep 28, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He attended King High School and the University of Florida. Ivan had become a first-time father just a week ago. His daughter was born a week early and the first lieutenant was able to see her via Skype from Afghanistan. Originally enlisting in the Army in July of 2009, Lechowich entered officer candidate school and was commissioned about half a year later at Fort Benning, Ga., in January 2010 and subsequently went through the Engineer Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Leonard Wood; he then became the company executive officer for the 554th Engineer Battalion Sapper Leader Course, also at Fort Leonard Wood. By December he was assigned to the battalion staff of the 5th Engineer Battalion, also at Fort Leonard Wood, but after a short time became a platoon leader in the 515th Sapper Company and deployed to Afghanistan in April of 2011. He was awarded the Bronze Star medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge. In addition, he earned the Sapper Tab, which is the engineer equivalent to the Ranger Tab.

Serenity Meadows Memorial Park

To be updated…

Born: November 2, 1978 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Died: September 22, 2011 in Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt. Andy C. Morales, 32, of Longwood, Fla., died Sept. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Orlando, Fla. He leaves his wife, Mariela, his daughter, Nyobi Gonzalez, his daughter, Naira V. Caraballo-Morales, his brother, Robert Caraballo-Morales and three sisters, Glorian Caraballo-Morales, Mercian Lesser, and Jeannie Harris.

Burial is at Oaklawn Park Cemetery in Sanford, Florida

To be updated…