Freedom Remembered

Born: June 3, 1991
Died: October 27, 2010 in Helmand, Afghanistan

Lance Cpl. Terry E. Honeycutt Jr., of Waldorf, Maryland graduated in 2009 from North Point High School where he participated in the color guard, Reserve Officers Training Corp. He was also a member of the stage crew for the theater club and was in the band for the school chorus. He was part of North Point’s first graduating class. Terry was musically gifted and taught himself to play the guitar and drums, both of which he started playing at a young age. From an early age, Terry had his mind set on serving in the military. If his Marine Corps key chain wasn’t a subtle reminder of his intentions, his speaking about it at every opportunity certainly was. He grew up playing ‘soldier’ with his sister, and would watch movies with a war theme. Though his family supported his decision, they did try to talk him out of serving in the infantry. He died at age 19 from wounds received Oct. 21 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service medals.
Marines
2nd Battalion
9th Marine Regiment
2nd Marine Division
II Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9288

To be updated…

Born: January 28, 1987
Died: June 25, 2006 in Afghanistan

Pfc. Justin R. Davis of Gaithersburg, Maryland was a graduate of Col. Zadok Magruder High School. He had a distinguished baritone voice, was a brash, outgoing young man who was so enthusiastic about Kung Fu movies and crunk rap music that he made his own videos and recorded his own songs Serving in the military was a dream of his and the job suited him. Justin who was his mother’s only child, had a magnetic personality, a million dollar smile, and a jovial manner. When he told his mom that he wanted to serve in the infantry, she did all she could to talk him out it. She wanted him to further his education in college. To help ease her mind about his decision, he promised that he would get a degree after his enlistment was up. He had been deployed to Afghanistan since March of 2006 and had plans to come home for several weeks in August for some rest. In his Web site on MySpace.com, he wrote that his heroes were God, Martin Luther King Jr. and Bruce Lee. His Awards and Decorations include, the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Afghan Campaign Medal. He leaves his mother, Paula R. Davis and father, Dennis R. Johnson. He died at age 19 when he came in contact with indirect fire while on patrol during combat operations in Korengal, Afghanistan.
Army
1st Battalion
32nd Infantry Regiment
3rd Brigade Combat Team
10th Mountain Division
Fort Drum, New York

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 8406

Born: August 9, 1981 in Maryland
Died: October 1, 2010 in Bastion, Afghanistan

Sgt. 1st Class Lance H. Vogeler of Frederick, Maryland enlisted in the United States Army in May of 2001. Lance was serving his 12th deployment after seven previous deployments to Afghanistan and four deployments to Iraq. For nearly nine years he served as a mortar man in 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. The battalions of the 75th Ranger Regiment have been continuously deployed to Afghanistan since October 2001. He completed One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia as an indirect fire infantryman. After graduating from the Basic Airborne Course there, he was assigned to the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program also at Fort Benning. Lance graduated from the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program and was then assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in December 2001, where he served as a gunner, fire direction chief, fire direction computer, squad leader and mortars section leader. His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Assessment and Selection Program, Emergency Room Medical Technician Basic Course, the U.S. Army Ranger Course, Infantry Mortar Platoon Course, Warrior Leader Course, Jumpmaster Course, Advanced Leader Course and the Senior Leader Course. His awards and decorations include the Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge and the Parachutists Badge. He has also been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal with two oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with combat star, Iraq Campaign Medal with combat star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral one, Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral one. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. He leaves his wife, Melissa, two children, Kyle and Madison, and a third child on the way. He also leaves his parents, Timothy and Donna Vogeler among others. He died at age 29 in Bastion, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered in Helmand, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire.
Army
1st Battalion
75th Ranger Regiment
Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

Burial is at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia

Born: February 24, 1981
Died: September 21, 2010 in Zabul, Afghanistan

Lt. (SEAL) Brendan J. Looney of Owings, Maryland was a 1999 graduate of DeMatha Catholic High School where he played baseball and football. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2004 where he was an all-American for the Navy lacrosse team. Following graduation, he was commissioned as a Naval intelligence officer. Two years later, he was assigned to an East Coast naval special warfare unit, at which he must have gotten a taste for the elite Sea, Air Land force. He started the grueling SEAL training in Coronado in March of 2007. Among his awards are, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He leaves his wife, Amy, his parents, Kevin and Maureen Looney, three sisters, Bridget, Erin and Kelly, and two brothers, Steve and Billy, both also Naval Academy graduates. Brendan and his brothers, Billy and Steve, played lacrosse for the Naval Academy. All three were starters for the Naval Academy lacrosse team. He died at age 29 in a helicopter crash Sept. 21 during combat operations in the Zabul province, Afghanistan, while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Navy
West Coast-based SEAL Team

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9180

Born: February 19, 1978 in Towson Maryland
Died: September 16, 2010 in Iskandariya, Iraq

Sgt. John F. Burner III, 32, of Baltimore, Maryland graduated from Catonsville High School, where he played on the football team. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army in 1996 and was in charge of a satellite system crew. His family has a rich military history dating back to the Revolutionary War. While stationed in Germany John met his wife, Verena and together they have two daughters. During his 13 year career, he had been deployed to Bosnia as well as two previous tours in Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star posthumously. He died at age 32 in Iskandariya, Iraq, in a non-combat related incident.
Army
63rd Signal Battalion (Expeditionary)
35th Signal Brigade
Fort Gordon, Georgia

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9375

To be updated…

Born: August 27, 1986 in Fort Worth, Texas
Died: March 11, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq

Pfc. Amy A. Duerksen of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland grew up an Army brat, the third generation of a military family. But she never really expressed an interest in joining the military herself, until she started looking into financial aid for college. She decided on the Army, enlisting in April, and was deployed to Iraq with her unit on Christmas Day. She had a kindness and gentleness for people that caused you to warm to her quickly. Warm smiles, encouraging words and affectionate hugs were the order of the day with Amy. She loved people, and they knew it. Her grandfather, Wayne Duerksen, is a Navy veteran who served in World War II, said she was the sweetest, most wonderful little girl, adding that she was only 5’1″. Nobody had a better granddaughter. Amy’s father, Doug is an active duty Chaplin and her sister was currently in training at Fort Sam Houston. In addition to her grandfather and her father, she also leaves her mother, Michelle Duerksen, and two biological siblings, Paul and Kim Branch. She was preceded in death by a brother, Joey. Her awards and decorations include, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, and the Army Service Ribbon. Burial was with full military honors. She died at age 19 from a non-combat-related injury in Baghdad.
Army
4th Combat Support Battalion
1st Brigade
4th Infantry Division
Fort Hood, Texas

Burial is at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas – Sec 1 Row A Site 32

Born: August 17, 1970
Died: May 24, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt 1st Class Robert E. Dunham of Baltimore, Maryland graduated in 1988 from Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, where he studied industrial electronics. He was an honors student who loved playing basketball in community leagues. He grew up in the Park Heights community in west Baltimore. He was the married father of five boys, and had been serving in Iraq since January. He joined the Army the same year he graduated and trained at Fort Dix, N.J., to work with communications equipment. He was stationed in Germany, Kansas and Arkansas before his family settled in Georgia. He served in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, in Bosnia and in Somalia and had received special-forces training before his latest tour in Iraq. He also served as a minister of music for churches wherever he was stationed, including in Georgia. He was a skilled piano and organ player and directed his church choir. His passion really was for ministry. He He died at age 36 Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker.
Army
1st Brigade Transition Team
4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
1st Infantry Division
Fort Riley, Kansas

Burial is at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock, Arkansas – Sec L Site 725

Cpl. Kurt S. Shea, 21, of Frederick, Md., died May 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Birth: December 14, 1982 – Centreville, Maryland
Died: April 14, 2003 – Baghdad, Iraq

Burial: Mileo Family Cemetery, Centreville, Maryland

Born on Sep. 5, 1989 in Baltimore, MD
Died on May 11, 2009 in Baghdad, Iraq

Specialist Michael E. Yates Jr. of Federalsburg, Maryland, attended Colonel Richardson High School and was not fond of bookwork, he like doing things with his hands. Sports, hunting, motorcycles and cars were his interests. He once persuaded a group of friends to jump off a pier over the Choptank River. The friends were nervous about the leap, but Michael wasn’t. He jumped in and then egged on his friends until they did the same. He was nice to everybody, so everybody loved him. Not finding a lot of options in life to fulfill his obligations and goals in life, he obtained his GED and enlisted in the Army 2 years ago. He very much liked being a soldier, working as a Calvary Scout assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, based out of Grafenwoehr, Germany. Mike was exactly the kind of trooper needed in the scout platoon; a scrapper who wasn’t afraid to lock horns. Mike was deployed to Iraq and had obtained a month-long leave home for April 2009. When he returned to Iraq, he found the stress of being separated from his large, close-knit family back home, especially his young son, to be something he needed help with. Although he liked his military service, he didn’t like being in Iraq, a place he called “a screwed up country they call Iraq.” He was getting the help he needed at the military stress clinic at Camp Liberty stress-counseling center near Baghdad when on May 11 he was one of 5 military personnel killed during shooting rampage by an Army soldier at the center. Michael was promoted posthumously from PFC to Specialist and awarded the Bronze Star.

Burial was in Maryland Veteran’s Cemetery in Hurlock, Maryland