Born: July 17, 1977 in Big Spring, Texas
Died: August 29, 2010 in Nangahar, Afghanistan
Capt. Ellery R. Wallace of Salt Lake City, Utah grew up in Big Spring, Texas. ‘Ray’ was a determined young man, who had a great drive to keep improving himself. He completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah in sociology-criminology in 2003 and was currently working toward a master’s degree in business online. Ray worked for his uncle Brent on the family farm in Sugar City, Idaho before he started Ricks College, now Brigham Young University-Idaho. He attended Ricks College for a year prior to serving a Mormon Church mission to Ivory Coast in West Africa. Ray had a dream since childhood of following in his grandfather’s footsteps and becoming a soldier. He joined the Army in 2003. His Awards and Decorations include, Army Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal-Valor, Valorous Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and Combat Action Badge. He leaves his wife, Janelle, his children, Liam, Adara, Kael and Ehlana and his parents, Dewayne and Elaine Wallace and four brothers and two sisters. He died at age 33 at Nangahar, Afghanistan, of wound sustained when their military vehicle was struck by rocket propelled grenade on Aug. 28 at Nangahar, Afghanistan.
Army
1st Squadron
61st Cavalry Regiment
4th Brigade Combat Team
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Mount Olive Cemetery in Big Spring, Texas
To be updated…
Born: August 21, 1984 in Afton, Wyoming
Died: December 12, 2005 in Tikrit, Iraq
Spc. Lex S. Nelson of Salt Lake City, Utah is a graduate of Granite High School and the Granite Latter Day Saints Seminary program in 2002. He entered the United States Army soon after graduation and deployed to Iraq in January 2005. The Eagle Scout is the son of Ellis H. and the late, Roene Shumway Nelson and was affectionately nicknamed, ‘Stones’ by his siblings. Lex was fond of camping and hiking. He leaves his father Ellis H. Nelson, eight brothers and ten sisters, Duke Nelson, Enden Nelson, Greta Nelson, Hank Nelson, Ingrid Nelson, Jacob Nelson, Katrina Nelson, Max Nelson, Nada Nelson, Obed Nelson, Bernadette West, Caleana Keys, Clarke Ray, Francine Miller, Amber Watts, Laura Arias and Bethany Ray. Lex died at age 21 when he fell from a guard tower in Tikrit, Iraq.
Army
1st Battalion
41st Field Artillery
1st Brigade
3rd Infantry Division
Fort Stewart, Georgia
Burial is at Auburn Cemetery in Auburn, Wyoming
Born: December 8, 1983 in Utah
Died: June 7, 2007 in Balad, Iraq
Senior Airman William N. Newman of Kingston Springs, Tennessee graduated in 2002 from Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah. After graduation, William left the Mountain West for the east, opting to live with his father in Tennessee. It was there in 2003 that he decided to enter the Air Force Academy. He was a yell leader there and enjoyed break dancing. He was a quiet, obedient child with an infectious smile, who calmly weathered a turbulent family situation without expressing any bitterness. He had hoped to be back in the islands by the end of this month to celebrate his second wedding anniversary in August and take a promotion exam. His widow, Soyong, had bought new clothes for her husband, whom everyone called ‘Willie,’ and had planned a special trip to Mauifor the celebration. Willie was passionate about break dancing, sketching and reading and was considering a career in medicine. He died at age 23 south of Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. The EOD facility located on Hickam Air Force Base was dedicated and named in his honor one year after his death.
Air Force
Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team
15th Civil Engineer Squadron
Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
Burial is at Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee – Sec JJ Row 13 Site 22
Born: January 15, 1982 in Tampa, Florida
Died: August 21, 2005 in Baylough, Afghanistan
Sgt. Michael R. Lehmiller of Anderson, South Carolina attended Clearfield High School in Utah during his senior year and enlisted in the United States Army in 1999, three days after earning a degree at ITT Technical Institute in Greenville, South Carolina. Not long after that he was sent to Iraq for an 11 month tour of duty. When he returned, he immediately re-enlisted and was sent to Afghanistan. He had told family members on more than on occasion that “serving his Country was where he belonged”. Michael had told his farther that when he finished his second tour of duty in the Middle East, he would try his hand at becoming a Ranger. Once Michael had called his father while on a rooftop in Baghdad in the middle of a firefight and another time just before jumping out of a Chinook helicopter. Those phone call are what his father, Robert, said he will miss the most. He always called at exciting and random times. In September, Michael was due for a two week visit home, during which he had planned on attending a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game with his father and sisters. He was a big sports fan, having played almost every sport during his lifetime. He was killed at age 23 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during patrol operations, near Baylough, Afghanistan.
Army
2nd Battalion
503rd Infantry Regiment
173rd Airborne Brigade
Vicenza, Italy
Burial is at Floral Memory Gardens in Dade City, Florida
Born: September 11, 1978 in Zacatecas, Mexico
Died: January 31, 2004 in Iraq
Cpl. Juan C. Cabral Banuelos of Emporia, Kansas spent most of his childhood in Riverdale, Utah, moving to Emporia with his family as a teenager where he graduated from high school. He attended Ogden High School before moving with his mother during his junior year, after his parents had divorced. He was a popular student who had plans of enlisting in the Army after graduation. Shortly after joining the Army, Cabral returned to Utah and reunited with Anita, a girlfriend when he lived there. He married Anita and adopted her son, and in August of 2002 the couple had another son. He became an Army mechanic and was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas before being sent to Iraq. He loved to tinker, especially on his 1963 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport. That love of cars helped make him a light-truck mechanic in the military. Juan was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star, a second Purple Heart and a promotion to sergeant at a burial ceremony at Washington Heights Memorial Park in South Ogden. A Mexican national, he was also set to become a U.S. citizen in April of 2004. He leaves behind his wife, Anita, and two young sons. He was killed at age 25 when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Army
Company A
4th Forward Support Battalion
4th Infantry Division (Mech)
Fort Hood, Texas
Burial is at Washington Heights Memorial Park in Ogden, Utah
Born: October 17, 1971 in Granger, Utah
Died: November 25, 2006 in Afghanistan
2nd Lt. Scott B. Lundell of Hurricane, Utah was born the seventh of eight children. He attended Granger High School where he lettered in football and was president of the student body. After his graduation in 1990, he served an honorable LDS mission in the Phillipines. He came home and married his high school sweetheart, Jeanine in the Salt Lake Temple on March 19, 1993. He also earned his bachelors degree in economics from the University of Utah. The son of Norman E. Lundell and Margaret B. Lundell joined the Utah National Guard, 19th Special Forces in June of 2004 and became an Officer in March of 2005. He deployed to Afghanistan to help train and support the Afghan National Army. Scott was a devoted husband and father to his four children and was a genuine patriot. He died at age 35 of injuries sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades while on patrol during combat operations in Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. He was preceded in death by his father, Norman Lundell. He leaves his wife, Jeanine and their children, Adam, Alli, Logan, and Libby, and his mother Margaret Hill among others.
Army
National Guard
I Corps Artillery
Utah National Guard
Camp Williams, Utah
Burial is at Benjamin Cemetery in Benjamin, Utah
Born: June 20, 1990 in Chihuahua, Mexico
Died: March 1, 2010 in Helmand, Afghanistan
Lance Cpl. Carlos A. Aragon of Orem, Utah is a 2008 graduate of Mountain View High School where he was friendly, quiet, and respectful. He liked to challenge himself. He would often climb the trails behind Bridal Veil Falls all the way to the top. But his favorite way to reach the top was to go straight up the mountain. Born in Mexico, he moved to Orem as a young boy. He enjoyed 70′d rock music, four wheeling, although he didn’t own his own all terrain vehicle. He satisfied that passion by driving light armored vehicles in the army. He immediately enlisted in the Marine Reserves soon after high school. Carlos was adventurous and passionate about skateboards, cars, and guitars. He never liked drawing attention to himself or even be praised for something good he had done. He leaves his mom and stepfather, Rosa and Brad Halladay. He died at age 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marines
4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
4th Marine Division
Marine Forces Reserve
Camp Pendleton, California
Burial is at Utah State Veterans Cemetery in Bluffdale, Utah – Sec A Site 2245
Born: September 13, 1981 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Died: May 30, 2007 in Afghanistan
Sgt. Jesse Blamires of West Jordan, Utah grew up in Sandy and was a graduate of Skyline High School. Jesse was one of six children with four brothers and one sister. He was fun loving and very talkative. He and his father would often go into the wilderness to ponder and relax. Jesse joined the Army in March 2003 and completed the CH-47 Helicopter Repair Course in October 2003 at Fort Eustis, Virginia. He completed the Warrior Leaders Course, the Army’s first tier of Noncommissioned Officer professional development, in 2006. He arrived to the 82nd Airborne. Division in April 2006. He deployed previously in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from January 2005 to November 2005 with Company C 159th Avn. Regiment. Serving in the Army, Jesse worked his way up from a mechanic, to a gunner, to his position as a crew chief and eventually wanted to pilot the Chinook in which he was killed. He served with the 82nd Airborne was on board a NATO Chinook helicopter that was shot down. Jesse died at age 25 from injuries sustained when his CH-47D Chinook Helicopter crashed near the Helmand Province, Afghanistan. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Achievement Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Good Conduct Medal with two loops, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge, and the Aviation Badge. Jesse is buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery but has a memorial marker at Arlington National Cemetery – Sec 60 Site 8769, representing all who died in the helicopter crash. Also killed were, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Chief Warrant Officer Christopher M. Allgaier and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway
Army
3rd General Support Aviation Battalion
82nd Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Burial is at Salt Lake City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah
Birth: January 28, 1978 – Salt Lake City, Utah
Died: December 7, 2009 – Landstuhl, Germany
Staff Sgt Hansen was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. He died at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit on December 3 with an improvised explosive device in Logar province, Afghanistan.
Burial: Huntsville Cemetery, Huntsville, Ohio
Born: August 8, 1980
Died: January 26, 2005 in Iraq
Cpl. Matthew R. Smith, of West Valley, Utah was born premature starting his life fighting for his first breath and died honorably fighting for his country. A “Gift from God”, he had the greatest love for life. He enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, guns and his favorite of all, milk. He touched the lives of all those he came in contact with. Matthew started his mission serving his country in October of 2001. He was last based out of Kaneoha Bay, Hawaii and served in many areas including Camp Pendleton, California, Phillippines, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Kuwait and Iraq. Even though Matt is a hero, his personal heroes were his two brothers, Spencer and Cory. He was killed at age 24 along with 30 others in a helicopter crash in Korean Village, Iraq. Survived by parents: Gary Smith and Colleen Parkin; brothers: Spencer Smith and Cory Smith; and many other family and friends. Preceded in death by his grandfather, Reed Emery Smith; grandmother, Margie Stauffer Frenette.
Marines
1st Battalion
3rd Marine Regiment
3rd Marine Division
III Marine Expeditionary Force
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Burial is at Salt Lake City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah
