Freedom Remembered

Born: August 8, 1974 in Wheeling, West Virginia
Died: January 23, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt. Matthew David Hunter was from Valley Grove, West Virginia. Growing up he was very active in the local 4-H Program as well as his school and church. He graduated in 1992 from Wheeling Park High School and earned a nursing major at West Liberty State College. He joined the Army Reserves in 1992 and in 1996 the regular Army, serving two tours of duty in Korea. Matthew was committed to serving his country and caring for its wounded, with a can-do attitude. In the fall of 2005 he was deployed to Iraq as a medic, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, the “Screaming Eagles” from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Matthew not only cared for and treated the wounded soldiers; he also treated injured animals he found in the war zone. That was Matthew, all living things were special to him; he felt it was his calling to serve all living creatures. He relished life, embracing its spirit with a big wide grin, many times sporting bold Hawaiian print shirts. Sgt. Hunter was killed at the age of 31 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol during combat operations in Baghdad. Prior to his death Matthew was awarded the following medals: Army Accommodation Medal, Army Achievement Medal 2d Award, National Defense Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Air Assault Badge, and Marksmanship Badge. Posthumously he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal 3d Award, and Combat Field Medic Badge. He was buried in West Alexander Cemetery in West Alexander, Pennsylvania. Matthew’s family chose the following verse from Isaiah 40:31 for the pastor to recite at Matthew’s funeral, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” In reading about Sgt Hunter I came across a couple of tributes people had left in his honor. One said, “I consider each year a gift from you.” The next was most fitting in remembrance to Sgt Hunter’s service, “Legends get remembered, but heroes never die.”

Burial is at West Alexander Cemetery in West Alexander, Pennsylvania

Born: November 10, 1978 in Beckley, West Virginia
Died: July 3, 2005 in Mosul, Iraq

Staff Sgt. Jeremy A. Brown of Mabscott, West Virginia was a 1997 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. He entered the United States Army in 1996. He served at Fort Hauchuca, Arizona and with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, an assignment in Korea, a tour in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky and deployed back to Iraq in March of 2005. Jeremy was also in Iraq for most of 2003 and part of 2004, then came back to the United States for a year. He returned to Iraq in February 2005. Even though he strongly wanted to join the military, he was just as eager to have his enlisted up, so he could start his life and to be a dad. He met his wife, Rosemary, also an Iraq veteran, in Korea. They were married in January 2003, before his first tour in Iraq. The couple were just days away from closing on their new home. His awards include the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Ribbon, two Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, two Army Overseas Service Ribbons, Army Combat Action Badge, Master Parachute Badge, Air Assault Badge, and an Expert Marksman Badge. Jeremy died in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained earlier that day when the Humvee in which he was riding accidentally rolled over in Tal Afar, Iraq. In appreciation of his dedication to freedom, a bridge was dedicated in his honor in August 2009 that will bear the his name crosses over West Virginia 16 leading to Mabscott. Jeremy was preceded in death by his father, John A. “Skeet” Brown. He leaves his wife, Rosemary, a son, Seth, his mother, Teresa Brown, two brothers, his twin, Jason, and Gregory
Army
66th Military Intelligence Company
3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
Fort Carson, Colorado

Burial is at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens in Beckley, West Virginia

Born: May 18, 1975 in Beckley, West Virginia
Died: June 28, 2005 in Asadabad, Afghanistan

Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor of Midway, West Virginia attended Independence High School. Jeff enlisted in the United States Navy in 1994. After graduating from BUD/S, Taylor was assigned to SEAL Team EIGHT, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center, and SEAL Team TEN. He deployed to Afghanistan in April of 2005. His awards include, the Bronze Star Medal (with “V” for Valor), Purple Heart Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with Combat “V”) (2 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation (2 awards), Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Battle “E” Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal (4 awards), Navy Fleet Marine Force Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (3 awards), Expert Rifle Medal and Expert Pistol Medal. He died at age 30 while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He leaves his wife, Erin and his parents, John and Carrie.
Navy
SEAL Team Ten
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Memorial marker is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec MF Site 25-5

Born: August 28, 1981
Died: April 30, 2004 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq

Cpl. Joshua S. Wilfong of Walker, West Virginia was a graduate of Parkersburg High School class of 2000. As a youth he liked to drive Wood County’s back roads with friends. Other favorite pastimes included driving all-terrain vehicles and trucks in the mud. He joined the Marine Corps soon after. The following July, Joshua was the honor graduate from the Marine Corps Basic Combat Engineers Course at Marine Corps Base in Camp Lejeune. During the five-week course, he received instruction in the fundamentals of engineering support for combat units, including the procedures for building and repairing bridges, roads and field fortifications. By November 2002, Josh spent six months deployed to the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf while assigned to the Lejeune unit. In April 2003, his unit landed on the shore of Kuwait in support of Operation: Iraqi Freedom as one of 4,000 Atlantic Fleet sailors and Marines who deployed aboard the ships of the USS Nassau Amphibious Ready Group. During the deployment his unit participated in training, humanitarian assistance and peace support operations in Spain, Italy, Kosovo, Kenya and Djibouti, Africa. Joshua died at age from hostile action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Marine
2nd Combat Engineer Battalion
2nd Marine Division
II Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Lejeune,  North Carolina

Burial is at Wright Cemetery near Glenville, West Virginia

Born: November 30, 1963 in Frankfort, Germany
Died: May 19, 2002 in Shkin, Afghanistan

Staff Sgt. Gene A. Vance Jr of Morganton, West Virginia attended Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia for Communications Systems Circuit Controller in 1983. In 1988, he completed the Primary Leadership Development Course at Fort Ord, California. He served in various active duty assignments both in the United States and overseas from June 1983 until June 1990. He joined the Army Reserve as a supply specialist in the 646th Quartermaster Company, Kingwood, West Virginia from January 1992 until October 1992. During this period, he completed the Petroleum Supply Specialist Course. He then joined Company C, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in October 1992. In 1994, he transferred to Support Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was later awarded the military occupational skill of voice interceptor in 2001. His military education included, the Communication System Circuit Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Petroleum Supply Specialist Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Special Forces Command Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Advanced International Morse Code and the Persian-Farsi Language Course. His awards and decorations include, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star for valor, the Purple Heart, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award), the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Parachutist Badge, the West Virginia Distinguished Service Medal, the West Virginia State Service Ribbon, and the West Virginia Distinguished Unit Award. After his death, Gene was awarded a bachelor of arts degree from West Virginia University, where he had taken classes before his deployment to Afghanistan. The 6′ 4″ Green Beret canceled his honeymoon when his unit was put on alert in December 2001. He was killed at age 38 in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom when he was shot in a mountainous Shkin area in the east and died in surgery. He was taking part in Operation Mountain Lion, designed to locate, isolate and destroy al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan when his unit came under heavy fire. Gene is the son of June Steele Vance and the late Gene Arden Vance Sr. He also leaves his wife, Lisa Selmon Vance, a daughter, Amber Nicole Vance, a sister, Jamie Vance-Minc, and a brother, William David Vance. He was posthumously promoted to Staff Sergeant.
Army
National Guard
Support Company
2nd Battalion
19th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Morgantown, West Virginia

Burial is at East Oak Grove Cemetery in Morgantown, West Virginia

To be updated…