Freedom Remembered

Born: June 28, 1988 in Alexandria, Virginia
Died: March 11, 2011 in Helmand, Afghanistan

Cpl. Ian M. Muller of Danville, Vermont joined the United States Marine Corps in December of 2007 and was promoted to corporal June 1, 2010. Among his awards are the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. He leaves his parents, Clif and Susanne Muller, five brothers, Ryan, Dylan, Benjamin, Quinton, Reuben, and a sister, Madeleine. He died at age 22 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marines
2nd Battalion
8th Marine Regiment
2nd Marine Division
II Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Burial is at Danville Green Cemetery in Danville, Vermont

To be updated…

Born: July 9, 1990 in St Albans, Vermont
Died: September 23, 2010 in Helmand, Afghanistan

Lance Cpl. Anthony J. Rosa of Swanton, Vermont is best known best as, ‘Chuckie’ by his friends and family. He is a 2008 graduate of Missisquoi Valley Union High School where he was voted the student with the best smile and laugh. Chuckie was well mannered, polite and well liked. He enjoyed golfing and fishing. Prior to joining the Marine Corps in October of 2008, Anthony worked for his family’s fuel business, H.G. Berger and Son in Swanton. He also worked for St. Marie’s Quick Stop in Swanton, for the Carmen Brook Farm in Highgate Springs, and on the Tim Magnant Farm in Franklin. Anthony was a lifelong member of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Swanton. He joined the Marine Corps in October of 2008 and was promoted to lance corporal July 1, 2009. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in June of 2010. His awards include the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He leaves his mother, Darcie Berger, his father, James Rosa, four sisters Jessica, Jennifer, Shannon, and Alexis, and one brother, James. He died at age 20 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marines
2nd Battalion
6th Marine Regiment
2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Burial is at Saint Marys Cemetery in Swanton, Vermont

To be updated…

Born: October 19, 1988 in Denville, New Jersey
Died: August 22, 2010 in Paktika, Afghanistan

Sgt. Tristan H. Southworth of West Danville, Vermont is a 2007 Hazen Union High School graduate, where he participated in baseball, soccer and basketball. He joined the Vermont National Guard during his junior year. Tristan took classes at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In 2009, he was activated for deployment to Afghanistan. He leaves his parents, Julie and Michael Southworth, two brothers, Matt and Robert Southworth. He died at age 21 at Paktika, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked their unit with small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire. He was posthumously awarded seven medals for his valor as a soldier, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Vermont Patriot’s Medal.
Army
National Guard
172nd Infantry
86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Jericho, Vermont

Main Street Cemetery in Hardwick, Vermont

To be updated…

Born: August 13, 1981 in St. Albans, Vermont
Died: January 25, 2006 in Balad, Iraq

Sgt. Joshua A. Johnson of Richford, Vermont is a 1999 graduate of Richford High School. He joined the United States Army and completed his Basic and Advanced training at Fort Benning. He was then stationed at Fort Drum, with Company C, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment. From October 2001 until April 2002, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Anaconda where he earned his Combat Infantry Badge. Josh left the United States Army in June of 2003 and joined Alpha Company 3-172nd Infantry (Mountain) Battalion as an in-service recruit. While with Alpha Company, he completed the Army Air Assault Course in June of 2004. He was deployed with Alpha Company, Task Force Saber in January of 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a civilian he was employed at Century Arms in St. Albans. His awards and Decorations include, the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbons, VT Distinguished Service Medal, VT Veterans Medal, Combat Infantry Badge and the Air Assault Badge. Josh was quite versatile in his pastime activities, including NASCAR Nextel racing, collecting NASCAR collectables, hunting, drawing, camping with his family, woodworking, running, biking, physical fitness, photography, reading, skiing, and playing basketball. He leaves his parents, Laura Johnson and Kevin Royea, his siblings, Crystal, Deanna, Kevin Jr., and Lacey. He was killed at age 24 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq.
Army
National Guard
3rd Battalion
172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain)
Jericho, Vermont

Burial is at Richford Center Cemetery in Richford, Vermont

Born: May 30, 1985 in Marion, Kansas
Died July 1, 2010 in Bagram, Afghanistan

Spc. Ryan J. Grady of Bristow, Oklahoma and West Burke, Vermont attended North Country High School as a freshman and Lake Region Union High School as a sophomore. In 2003 he graduated from Thunderbird Military Academy in Oklahoma. He also attended Bristow High School in Oklahoma. Ryan grew up in a military family where the motto, ‘Be all that you can Be’ was held high. One of three brothers, they all have served in the military just as their father had. His father is currently still serving in the Vermont National Guard, and a brother Kevin is also serving in Afghanistan. In 2003 he joined the Army and served in Iraq from February of 2005 through January of 2006, receiving a Purple Heart during from that tour. In October 2006, he transferred to the Vermont Army National Guard transferring back to HHC 120th Battalion in Okmulgee, Oklahoma in September of 2008. Ryan once again returned to Vermont in 2009. He died at age 25 at Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised-explosive device. Ryan has been posthumously promoted to the rank of specialist. He leaves his daughter, Alexis, his father, James A. Grady, his mother and stepfather, Debbie and Tom Hudacek, his brothers, James and Kevin, and his wife, Heaven.
Army
National Guard
Special Troops Battalion
86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Bradford, Vermont

Burial is at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in St. Johnsbury, Vermont

Born: December 5, 1968 in New York
Died: October 8, 2004 in Kirkuk, Iraq

Staff Sgt. Michael S. Voss of Aberdeen, North Carolina, formerly of Enosburg, Vermont attended Enosburg Falls High School and Sandhills Community College where he was a member of Honors Society and Phi Theta Kappa Fraternity and was a semester shy of getting his Associate degree. Michael joined the United States Army 1988 and served nine years with the 82nd Airborne as a Paratrooper earning a Purple Heart in 1989 in Panama. He then joined North Carolina Army National Guard unit in 1997 while working for Caterpillar in Sanford North Carolina. He had been married for six years to Emily and had two daughters. His Awards and Decorations include, The Bronze Star and a second Purple Heart, three Army Commendations, four Army Achivement Medals, Combat Infantry Badge. Michael was killed at age 35 when his convoy vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire near Tikrit, Iraq. He had also served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991.
Army
National Guard
1st Battalion
120th Infantry Regiment
Wilmington, North Carolina

Burial is at Manley Presbyterian in Manly, North Carolina

Born: February 22, 1963 in Bennington, Vermont
Died: April 2, 2003 in Iraq

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Erik A. Halvorsen of Bennington, Vermont is a graduate of Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in 1998 in Electronic Engineering at the University of Hartford, Connecticut. Intrigued with mechanics at a young age, Erik began taking flying lessons while in high school. In 1987 he joined the United States Army and entered the Army’s helicopter program. In 1998, he left the Army for civilian life in aviation but he didn’t like it so in June 2000 he returned to active duty as a Warrant Officer. His deployments took him to the first Gulf War, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Korea and the Caribbean. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (posthumous), Purple Heart Medal (posthumous), Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters, JMUA-1, AGCM-1, NDSM-2, SWABS-2, AFSM-1, NATO-1, SAKULIBM & KUKULIBM, and the Senior Aviator Badge. He was killed at age 40 in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash in central Iraq. He leaves his parents, Dorothy and Halvor Halvorsen, his sisters, Karen Loebe, and Ingrid and Brenda Halvorsen.
Army
2nd Battalion
3rd Aviation Regiment
Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

Burial is at Park Lawn Cemetery in Bennington, Vermont

Born: May 10, 1981 in South Burlington, Vermont
Died: April 3, 2003 in Iraq

Cpl. Mark A. Evnin of Burlington, Vermont graduated from South Burlington High School where he excelled in computers and on the school’s lacrosse team. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps soon after graduation. He was killed in action at age 21 during a firefight in central Iraq. He leaves his mother, Mindy Wall Evnin and his father, Michael Evnin.
Marines
3rd Battalion
4th Marine Regiment
1st Marine Division
Twentynine Palms, California

Burial is at Hebrew Holy Society Cemetery in Burlington, Vermont

To be updated…

Born: June 4, 1984 in Bridport, Vermont
Died September 26, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas

Capt. Luke D. Yustin of Vermont attended Middlebury Union High School where he was active as an athlete and a member of the Varsity football and wrestling team.
After earning an Army scholarship he attended Norwich Military University graduating Cum Laude in 2006 with a degree in history and completed expert level foreign language training in Germany. He was promoted to 2nd Lt., United States Army Aviation and completed flight school at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. He was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division Aviation Brigade as a 1st Lt., CH-47 pilot, Ft. Hood, Texas. He deployed to Taji Air base, Iraq, in June 2008, where he completed a full year of combat flight missions. He was awarded the Army Air medal and promoted to Captain in June 2009. He was a member of the Ft. Hood Freedom Riders and enjoyed riding his Harley and driving his GTO. He was an active Republican and had intentions of entering politics upon completion of his military career. Luke was also a devout Catholic. In his community, he volunteered with the Bridport Fire Department and worked as an EMT with first response Vermont State Police Auxiliary. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. He is survived by his parents, David and Suzy Yustin; and his brother SPC. Logan Yustin; his grandmother Pauline Bolduc among others. Luke died at age 25 following a motorcycle accident.

Burial is at Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Middlebury, Vermont