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: 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 Tarin Kowt, 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
Born: January 28, 1978 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Died: December 5, 2009 in Landstuhl, Germany
Staff Sgt Dennis J. Hansen of Panama City, Florida died at age 31 at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit on Dec. 3 with an improvised explosive device in Logar province, Afghanistan. He leaves his wife, Jennifer, a daughter, Alana, two sons, Gabriel and Michael, his parents, Dwight and Bonnie Buchenroth Hansen, and a brother, Jeffrey.
Army
1st Battalion
32nd Infantry Regiment
3rd Brigade Combat Team
10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)
Fort Drum, New York
Burial is at Huntsville Cemetery in 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
Born: January 20, 1989 in American Fork
Died: March 4, 2010 in Helmand, Afghanistan
Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen of Orem, Utah attended Mountain View High School graduating in 2007 and later pursued some classes at Utah Valley University. He grew up the youngest of ten children. As early as age three, Nigel already knew he wanted to serve in the military. After graduation from high school he realized that lifelong dream of joining the Marines. His only complaint was that once he was in the war zone, he wasn’t involved in as much of the combat as he would have preferred. It turned out that he would ultimately be right smack in the middle of battle. At home, he enjoyed playing his Xbox and sunday dinners at his mom’s house. Nigel also had a deep love for his country and a passion for reading, especially history books, often getting his reading material at the library. One of his other many passions was to play military strategy games like Warhammer 40,000, Axis and Allies and others with his friends. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he held the office of Elder. Nigel was a graduate of the LDS Seminary program and earned his Eagle Scout award. He was attending the Salem Singles Ward prior to deployment. He died at age 21 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He is the son of Kim and L Todd Olsen.
Marines
4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve
Camp Pendleton, California
Burial is at Salem City Cemetery in Salem, Utah
Birth: June 1, 1990 – Salt Lake City, Utah
Died: November 5, 2009 – Fort Hood, Texas
Pfc Nemelka was a 2008 graduate of West Jordan High School, West Jordan, Utah. His sense of duty to his country came from both of his grandfathers, his uncles, an aunt and cousin who all served in the military. In October 2008, he joined the Army.
Burial: Utah State Veterans Cemetery, Bluffdale, Utah
