Freedom Remembered

Born: January 3, 1974
Died: May 22, 2011 in Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt. 1st Class Clifford E. Beattie of Medical Lake, Washington died at age 37 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.
Marines
1st Battalion
63rd Armor
2nd Brigade Combat Team
1st Infantry Division
Fort Riley, Kansas

Burial is at Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington – Sec B Row B Site 61

To be updated…

Born: December 26, 1988 in Tacoma, Washington
Died: April 24, 2011 in Helmand, Afghanistan

Lance Cpl. Joe M. Jackson of White Swan, Washington graduated in 2009 from White Swan High School. His personal service awards include, the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War of Terrorism Service Medal. He died at age 22 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marines
1st Battalion
5th Marine Regiment
1st Marine Division
I Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Pendleton, California

Tahoma Cemetery

To be updated…

Born: April 4, 1967 in Caracas, Capital District, Venezuela
Died: April 27, 2011 in Afghanistan

Major Philip D. Ambard of Edmonds, Washington died at age 44 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire. He was assigned to the 460th Space Communications Squadron, Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. He was serving on a NATO team training the Afghan Air Force. Maj Ambard served as General Born’s executive officer from 2006 to 2007. A fluent speaker of French and Spanish, he had also been serving as an assistant professor of foreign languages at the Air Force Academy. The school sent him to the University of Denver to study for a doctorate from 2007 to 2010. He was sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages for a Ph.D. which he completed in 2010 and was scheduled to return to the Department of Foreign Languages after a deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan. While stationed at the Academy, he was the Department of Foreign Languages executive officer and later served in that same role for the Dean of the Faculty.

Burial is at United States Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado

To be updated…

Born: April 3, 1985 in Federal Way, Washington
Died: March 21, 2011 in As Samawah, Iraq

Sgt. Brandon S. Hocking of Seattle, Wash., died at age 24 in As Samawah, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga. He joined the United States Army in November of 2005 and was serving his second deployment to Iraq. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He leaves his wife Havalah Hocking, children Sebastion and Gwenivere, stepchildren, Morgana and Odian, his father, Kevin Hocking, his mother and stepfather Christine and Calvin Dansereau, five sisters, Britney, Breanna, Brooke, Brielle Hocking and Gracie Dansereau.

Burial is at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington – Sec 25 Site 2086

To be updated…

Born: May 29, 1985
Died: December 12, 2010 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Sgt. Sean M. Collins of Yelm, Washington joined the United States Army in April of 2006 arriving at Fort Campbell in January of 2010. He was currently serving in Afghanistan, having previously served two tours in Iraq. His awards and decorations include, Army Commendation Medal, Valorous unit Award, Army Good Conduct medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Support Medal, Army Service Medal and the NATO Medal. He leaves his mother, Linda G. Collins, and father, retired, Lt Col Patrick B. Collins, a brother and two sisters. He died at age 25 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was among six soldiers killed in a suicide attack. Also killed were Spc Patrick D Deans, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
Army
2nd Battalion
502nd Infantry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Burial is at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington – Sec 9E Site 75

Born: January 28, 1979 in Los Angeles County, California
Died: December 7, 2010 in Bethesda, Maryland

Sgt. Jason D. Peto of Vancouver, Washington is a graduate of Mountain View High School and also attended Clark College. In 2004 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Among his awards are, the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Certificate of Commendation (Individual Award), Certificate of Commendation (Unit Award), Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, SMCR Medal, Combat Marksmanship Training, Infantry Rifleman, Navy Achievement Medal, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom for Afghanistan. He was currently serving his third combat deployment. Sgt. Peto was awarded the Gold star in Lieu of a second Purple Heart. He leaves his wife Tiffany, his parents Ernest and Janie Peto, three brothers, Michael, Garry, and Darin. He died at age 31 from wounds received Nov. 24 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marines
3rd Battalion
5th Marine Regiment
1st Marine Division
I Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Pendleton, California

Burial is at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California – Sec 61 Site 1400

To be updated…

Born: February 11, 1981
Died: February 20, 2009 in Oruzgan, Afghanistan

Staff Sgt. Timothy P. Davis of Aberdeen, Washington grew up in Montesano, graduating from Monte High School in 1999. He was an accomplished wrestler who once took seventh in a state tournament and played on the football team. Tim was continuing a long family history of military service when he enlisted in the United States Air Force. His uncle, John, a Vietnam veteran, had served in the Air Force, too. Tim’s unit was based out of Hurlburt Field, Florida where he was part of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron and worked as a combat controller. His whole unit had won a Bronze Star for their actions during one combat outing. When he was wounded with shrapnel another time, Tim was awarded a Purple Heart, but because he didn’t lose a limb, he felt he didn’t deserve the award. He also had a lot of nicknames. During basic training, his unit called him “The Rock,” because he could always be counted on. His mom called him “Tim-Bo”, akin to “Rambo” from the war movies. As a young boy, she also called him her little mountain goat because he always climbed on everything. His uncle Jim called him “Slider” because when Tim was younger, he let a jar of peanuts slide from his hand and land on the floor of a buddy’s truck who was a stickler for having a spotless rig. Tim met his future wife while training at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane. The couple had been married for almost five years. He leaves his wife, Meagan, his son, TJ, mother, Sally Sheldon, father, Mike, a brother, Ben and a sister, Noel. Tim was killed at age 28 in the Oruzgan province of Afghanistan from the result of injuries received from an improvised explosive device.
Air Force
23rd Special Tactics Squadron
Hurlburt Field, Florida

Burial is at Wynooche Cemetery in Montesano, Washington

Born: November 2, 1983 in Duluth, Minnesota
Died: September 21, 2010 in Zabul, Afghanistan

Chief Warrant Officer Jonah D. McClellan of Battle Ground, Washington is a 2002 graduate of Summit View High School, though he attended Battle Ground High for three years. He joined the Army in 2003. As a Black Hawk helicopter pilot he had been involved in a variety of missions, including medical recovery, transporting troops and dropping ammunition. He began his second tour of Afghanistan in March of 2010. His awards and decorations include, Air Medal; Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge and Army Aviator Badge. He leaves his wife, Nina, and three children Ayden, Ayla and Renn, his parents, Leona and Rodney McClellan, two brothers, Jesse and Justin, three sisters, Amber, Amy and Alison. Jonah was a lifelong member of the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church. He died in a helicopter crash at age 26 during combat operations in Zabul province, Afghanistan, while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Also killed in the crash were, Army Maj. Robert F. Baldwin, Army Sgt. Marvin R. Calhoun Jr., Lt. (SEAL) Brendan J. Looney, Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician (Collection) David B. McLendon, Navy Special Warfare Operator 3rd Class (SEAL) Denis C. Miranda, Army Staff Sgt. Joshua D. Powell, Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class (SEAL) Adam O. Smith, and Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew G. Wagstaff.
Army
5th Battalion
101st Combat Aviation Brigade
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Burial is at Elim Cemetery in Brush Prairie, Washington

To be updated…

Born: August 29, 1984
Died: June 9, 2007 in Germany

Sgt. Jonathan R. Gilbert was an Old Town, Idaho native and member of the Cherokee Nation. ‘Rusty’ was preparing for his second Iraq tour and had already served in Mosul from 2004 to 2005 with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division before it reflagged as 2nd Cav in Germany. He survived a mortar attack in Iraq, and the Purple Heart is among his many decorations and medals. He volunteered to serve at a time when he knew he could go into harm’s way often. People are questioning now why we fight; Sgt. Gilbert never questioned why we fight, but he fought for the rights of people to question that fight. He loved the War Craft computer game, bowling and bar hopping with his mates. He is survived by his parents, brothers Billy and Smokey and sister Michelle. He died at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at age 22 after he was shot during predeployment training at Grafenwöhr Training Area on May 30.

Burial is at Newport Cemetery in Newport, Washington

Born: August 29, 1986 in Bremerton, Washington
Died: Jun. 13, 2007 in Iraq

Pfc. Casey S. Carriker of Hoquiam, Washington was a graduate of Hoquiam High School and planned to go to college after getting out of the Army. He was raised in Iowa and in 2001 he and his six brothers and sisters moved to Hoquiam to be near their father graduating from Hoquiam High School in 2005. While at Hoquiam he was a member of Vocational Industrial Clubs of America and excelled in welding. He made metal arts projects for and participated in the Grays Harbor Relay for Life and was an avid runner. Casey enlisted in the Army in 2005 as a way to pay for college and to see the world. Casey had a real passion for books and reading. He died at age 20 in Kirkuk, Iraq, from injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident.
Army
2nd Battalion
35th Infantry Regiment
3rd Brigade
25th Infantry Division
Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Burial information is unknown at this time.