Freedom Remembered

Born: February 20, 1962 in New Haven Connecticut
Died: February 3, 2012 in Kabul, Afghanistan

Brigadier General Terence J. Hildner, 49, of Fairfax, Va., died Feb. 3, in Kabul province, Afghanistan. Hildner was assigned to the 13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Fort Hood, Texas. A 1984 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Brigadier General began his career as an Armor officer with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas. Reassigned in 1988 to the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in the Federal Republic of Germany, he served as the Regimental Training Officer and subsequently commanded a ground cavalry troop. During his company command, Brigadier General Hildner’s troop deployed with the Regiment as part of the U.S. VII Corps’ attack into Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, as well as conducting the last U.S. patrol along the East-West German border before its reunification. Returning from Germany, Brigadier General Hildner served in several assignments at Fort Hood, TX, to include 2nd Armored Division Comptroller and Aide-de-Camp to the 4th ID Commanding General. Following his transition to the Quartermaster Corps and attendance at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1997, Brigadier General Hildner served in a variety of staff positions to include Battalion Executive Officer of the 296th Forward Support Battalion, Supply & Services Chief for I Corps G4 at Fort Lewis, WA, and J4 for the Department of Defense’s counterdrug task force (JTF-6). In 2003, Brigadier General Hildner assumed command of the 13th Corps Support Command’s Special Troops Battalion at Fort Hood, TX. During nearly three years in command, the battalion conducted two operational deployments. The first came in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, providing general logistical support to units located around Joint Base Balad as well as the Abu Gharib prison complex. The battalion’s second deployment came in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as Logistical Task Force Lone Star, providing both military and humanitarian support operations. From July 2007 to July 2009, Brigadier General Hildner commanded the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade at Fort Lee, VA, training more than 20,000 Soldiers annually for deployment with the Operational Army in support of contingency operations across the globe. Most recently, he was the Combined Arms Support Command’s (CASCOM) G3/Director of Training & Doctrine. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (2OLC), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal (3OLC), Joint Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (4OLC), Humanitarian Service Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Combat Action Badge and Parachutist Badge.

ANC in Arlington, Virginia – Feb 29, 2012

To be updated…

Born: October 16, 1981 in Hampton, Virginia
Died: January 10, 2012 in Parwan, Afghanistan

Pfc. Michael W. Pyron of Hopewell, Virginia died at age 30 in Parwan province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 25th Signal Battalion, 160th Signal Brigade, 335th Signal Command Theater, East Point, Ga. He joined in the Army in May of 2010 and had been with the 335th since February 2011 serving as a radio and communications security specialist. He leaves his wife, Monika Stienen Pyron, sons, Mason Pyron and Matthew Stienen, his mother and her husband, Cheryl G. Coluccio and Frank, father and his wife, Herbert Pyron Jr. and Janet, his brothers, Jeremy Griggs, Thomas Coluccio, Christopher Griggs and Matthew Pyron, and his sisters, Samantha Coluccio and Emily Miller.

Burial is at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Chester, Virginia

To be updated…

Maj. Samuel M. Griffith, 36, of Virginia Beach, Va., died Dec. 14 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 4th Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, Marine Forces Reserve, West Palm Beach, Fla. He attended William G. Enloe High School. class of 1993, before attending Pennsylvania State University, class of 1997. Sam entered the military through the Naval ROTC at Penn State. Maj Griffith was serving his third tour of duty, having already served a previous tour to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

To be updated…

Born: August 14, 1967
Died: October 17, 2011 in Babil, Iraq

Staff Sgt. James R. Leep Jr., 44, of Davenport, Va., died Oct. 17 in Babil province, Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team, Portsmouth, Va. He joined the National Guard in April 1986 and served on active duty from December 1987 to August 1995 as a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic. He rejoined in January 1996 and worked as a combat engineer and construction equipment supervisor. He worked full time as surface maintenance repairer technician for the Virginia National Guard at field maintenance shop #14 in Richlands. His previous deployments include Bosnia from September 2001 to April 2002, Iraq from December 2003 to March 2005, the southwest U.S. border security mission from June to August 2006, and Afghanistan from November 2008 to January 2010.

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9834

To be updated…

Born: May 30, 1988 in Alexandria, Virginia
Died: August 28, 2011 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Spc. Douglas J. Green of Sterling, Virginia died at age 23 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He joined the Army in September 2007. He graduated from basic and advanced training at Fort Benning, Ga., and arrived in Alaska in March 2008. He previously was deployed to Iraq from September 2008 to September 2009. Known by many as Doug or Dougie, he attended Potomac Falls High School.

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9733

To be updated…

Born: September 10, 1986
Died: June 22, 2011 in Kunar, Afghanistan

Spc. Levi E. Nuncio of Harrisonburg, Virginia died at age 24 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He joined the United States Army Sep. 23, 2009 as a Combat Medic. It was his first deployment. His awards and decorations include, the Army Commendation Medal, two Purple Hearts, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the NATO medal, National Defense Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Combat Medical Badge and the Army Service Medal.

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9716

To be updated…

Born: May 29, 1981
Died: June 11, 2011 in Faryab, Afghanistan

Capt. Michael W. Newton of Newport News, Virginia is a 1999 graduate of Denbigh High School and attended the Virginia Military Institute. He also earned a Masters degree from the University of Oklahoma. He joined the Army in July 2004 and joined his unit in December 2009, according to U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs. Newton deployed to Afghanistan with his unit in February. He had served two tours in Iraq from February 2006 to September 2006 and from October 2008 to October 2009. He died at age 30 at Faryab province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident.
Army
1st Battalion
84th Field Artillery Regiment
170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Baumholder, Germany

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9715

To be updated…

Born: May 4, 1975
Died: April 27, 2011 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan

Maj. Charles A. Ransom of Midlothian, Virginia was a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, where he majored in computer science and served as vice president of the class of 2001. He was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He died at age 31 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire. He leaves his father, Willie D. Ransom, his mother, Marysue Ransom, a brother, Stephen and the love of his life, Naquita Bassfield.
Air Force
83rd Network Operations Squadron
Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia

Burial is at First Baptist Church Cemetery in Midlothian, Virginia

To be updated…

Born: June 14, 1987 in Manassas, Virginia
Died: April 23, 2011 in Helmand, Afghanistan

Sgt. Sean T. Callahan of Warrenton, Virginia joined the Marine Corps in March 2008 and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from August 2009 to October 2009 and most recently in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in December of 2010. His awards include, the Purple Heart Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He died at age 23 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marines
3rd 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 9515

To be updated…

Born: July 6, 1989 at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
Died: March 2, 2011 in Frankfurt, Germany

Airman First Class Zachary R. Cuddeback of Stanardsville, VA., died at age 21 as a result of a shooting at Frankfurt Airport, Germany. He was assigned to the 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Zac was a graduate of William Monroe High School in Stanardsville, Virginia. And after spending a year at Old Dominion University, where he played on the Monarch’s Ice Hockey Team, he joined the United States Air Force in 2009.
He leaves his mother, Celia “De” Loyet, his father, Bob Cuddeback, his brother and best friend, Tim Cuddeback, and his puppy, Einstein.

Burial is at Saint Joseph Cemetery in O’Fallon, Illinois

To be updated…