Freedom Remembered

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

Born: August 17, 1984 in Trinidad And Tobago
Died: October 19, 2005 in Tikrit, Iraq

Sgt. Kendell K. Frederick of Randallstown, Maryland was born in Trinidad and had been in the United States about six years. He graduated from Randallstown High School in 2004 where he was a model student, with strong academic skills, exemplary behavior and an athletic prowess that he displayed on the school soccer team. Over the years, Kendall matured into a focused and capable young man who was proud to wear his military uniform. Most were not surprised when he decided in his junior year to pursue a career in the military. He looked forward to joining the Army. But after 10 months in Iraq, he had lost some of his excitement. Just three weeks before his death he was home on leave and spent time with old friends and visited cadets at Randallstown’s Junior Navy ROTC program, where had been a platoon commander. He had matured into a thoughtful young man, a soldier who loved military life and leadership, but not war. He had come home from wrenching experiences in Iraq, including enduring the death of comrades. Although he was scared, he decided to return to Iraq because he loved the Army and believed in doing his duty. He was pursuing United States citizenship when he was killed at age 21 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during convoy operations Tikrit, Iraq. Upon his burial at Arlington National Cemetery, Kendall was awarded American citizenship.
Army
Reserve’s
983rd Engineer Battalion
Monclova, Ohio

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 8291

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

Born: February 19, 1983 in Heidelberg, Germany
Died: September 12, 2006 in AL Kifl, Iraq

2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez, grew up in a military family and lived in many places. Her family is from Belton, Texas and she lived in Germany but went to high school in Maryland. With that background, she had the military bearing and discipline befitting a West Point graduate and Army officer. She was also smart as a whip, athletically gifted, deeply religious and sang in the military academy’s gospel choir. She was a constant learner, always eager for something to learn and share with someone. Born in Germany, where her father was stationed in the Army, Emily attended elementary schools in Germany. Her family moved to Prince George’s County where she attended and graduated from Oxon High School in 2001. While there she was on the track team. Emily arrived at West Point as an accomplished high school sprinter and later became a top triple jumper after volunteering to fill a roster need. She really enjoyed being the person that was in charge. If there was a parade and track meet on the same day, the highlight of her day was probably leading the parade. Although she was from a military family, she was the first to attend a military academy. At West Point, she was the first black woman to serve as corps commander sergeant major, and finished academically in the top 10 percent of her class. After graduating from West Point in 2005, Emily began her assignment at Fort Hood and was sent to Iraq shortly thereafter. She regularly kept in touch with her family, but was particularly communicative with her father because they could both talk military. Besides her parents, survivors include a brother, Kevyn, and her maternal and paternal grandmothers. She died at age 23 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near her Humvee during combat operations in Kifl, Iraq.
Army
204th Support Battalion
2nd Brigade
4th Infantry Division
Fort Hood, Texas

Burial is at United States Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point, New York – Sec XXXVI, Row B grave 064F