Birth: November 12, 1968 – Casper, Wyoming
Died: September 25, 2003 – Tikrit, Iraq
Capt Lucero was assigned to 4th Infantry Division Rear Area Operation Center, U.S. Army National Guard, Casper, Wyoming. He was killed when he and another officer were searching for a water pump inside a building.
Burial: Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery, Evansville, Wyoming
Born Mar. 12, 1978 in Newcastle, WY
Died Jan. 26, 2005 in Ar Rutbah, Iraq
Brian was known for two things, his smile and his love for the United States Marine Corps. Enlisting in 1996, he twice re-enlisted and his almost 10 year career took him from being a mortar man, to a drill instructor to the deserts of Iraq as a fighter in the Global War on Terrorism. Early on drill instructors used him as an example of how a Marine recruit should look and act. A model Marine, he was what many Marines sought to be; a man of strength, both mentally and physically, disciplined and confident, yet kind and understanding. He took every chance he could to make himself a better man and Marine. He also made sure those he instructed took those opportunities. Most of the recruits he taught still give Brian the credit for making them the Marines they became. Based in Hawaii, Brian deployed to Iraq assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit of the 1st Marine Division. During this time his unit came under attack one day and several Marines were trapped in a building. Brian ordered a tank to put a whole in it so the guys could get out to safety. In the Corps, it’s not cool to say “I love you” but some of the guys there that day want everyone to know that they indeed did love Brian. And what he stood for. Brian was killed in a helicopter crash on January 25, 2005. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Newcastle, Wyoming.
Born: July 9, 1974 in Minot, North Dakota
Died: November 16, 2009 in Tal Afar, Iraq
Staff Sgt. Ryan L. Zorn of Wright, Wyoming grew up in Upton since the age of five months, graduating from Upton High School in 1993 where he participated in debate, football and wrestling. Ryan’s family and church were very important to him throughout his life. He attended the United Methodist Church where he was active in the youth groups and was the youth delegate to the annual conference. He had a big heart to share things with others who were not as fortunate as he was. Ryan entered the Army in January 1994, and after completing his first four years, he decided to make the Army his career. Ryan loved the Army and proudly served for sixteen years serving tours in Saudi Arabia, Korea, Germany and three tours in Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Riley in January 2009. Ryan served as a communications information system operations non-commissioned officer. He arrived in February of 2009 for his third tour of Iraq and was due to come home in March of 2010. Ryan had served 16 years in the Army and recently re-enlisted. He is survived by his parents Myron and JoAnn Zorn and a brother, Todd. He died at age 35 in Tal Afar, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. Ryan is survived by his parents, Myron and JoAnn Zorn and a brother, Todd.
Army
1st Battalion
34th Armor Regiment
1st Brigade
1st Infantry Division
Fort Riley, Kansas
Burial will be at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota – Sec A Site 364
Born May 5, 1980 in Rice Lake WI
Died June 8, 2008 in Kirkuk, Iraq
Staff Sergeant Pickett was born in Wisconsin and moved to Saratoga, Wyoming, at the age of 14. He was a 1999 graduate of Saratoga High School and following a tradition in his family of military service, enlisted in the Army on May 31, 2001. He completed basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He served one tour of duty in Afghanistan from August 2003 to August 2004 and was currently on his second tour of duty in Iraq, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), based at Fort Drum, New York. He married Kristy A. Keegan on February 14, 2005, in Watertown, New York. They lived in Antwerp, New York, for the past three years. SSGT Pickett was killed when a suicide car bomb exploded near an American patrol base outside of Kirkuk. He put himself between an IED and a group of 18 fellow soldiers, saving the lives of them. His military awards include: Army Commendation with combat distinguishing device “V” 2, Army Achievement Medal 3, Army Good Conduct Medal 2, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star 2, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon 2, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge Basic, Air Assault Badge, Weapons Qualifications Badge, and Overseas Service Bar 4. He earned the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart, both posthumously.
Born June 28, 1969 in Toledo, Ohio
Died: August 19, 2009 in Leadville, Colorado
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Terry Geer of Casper, Wyoming is the son of George and Barbara Geer. The graduate of Whitmer High School volunteered for Navy service in February 1989. After serving five years in the United States Navy, he was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, Alabama in 1994. Upon graduation from the UH-1 Course in 1995, Geer was assigned to the 82nd Air Ambulance Medical Company at Fort Riley, Kansas as an Aero medical Evacuation Pilot and Instructor Pilot. In 1998, after completing the Instrument Flight Examiner Course, Geer was assigned to the Combat Maneuver Training Center at Hohenfels, Germany, as a Standardization Instructor Pilot. After a successful assessment in 2002, Geer was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment(Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as an Instructor Pilot and Aviation Safety Officer. He is a combat veteran with 12 deployments, 11 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His military training includes the Warrant Officer Candidate School, the Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course, the Aviation Warrant Officer Advanced Course, the Electronics Warfare Officer Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape course, the UH-60 Aviator Qualification Course, the UH-1 and UH-60 Instructor Pilot Courses, the Rotary Wing Instructor Flight Examiner course, and the Aviation Safety Officers Course. Geer’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals for valor, seven Air Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Navy Good Conduct Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, three Southwest Asia Service Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Government of Saudi Arabia), Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait), Navy Aircrew Insignia Badge, and Senior Aviator Badge. He is survived by his wife, Gina Geer, and two children Braden and Emma; and his mother Barbara Geer. Terry died at age 40 when his MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Leadville, Colorado during a training mission. Four Army Special Operations Aviation Soldiers died in the helicopter crash. He is survived by his wife Gina and his son, Braden; a daughter, Emma; his mother, Barbara Geer; two brothers, Anthony and Thomas; and a sister, Tonya.
Army
Delta Company
1st Battalion
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Burial was in St Patrick’s cemetery also known as CoalCreek Cemetery in Coal Creek, Kansas.
Born July 14, 1986 in Casper, WY
Died June 9, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq
Scott talked of joining the Army as a boy and did so in July 2004, after graduating from Natrona County High School. He was supposed to have been discharged recently, but his tour was extended by three months. He wasn’t known for being a good student, but he had lots of friends and loved to laugh and talk and spend time with his family, deer hunting, barbecuing, going to dinner dates with his grandmother, fishing and being outside. He was fun loving and easy going and always had a smile for anyone. He was a great athlete and a gentle giant. He was a chewer of Copenhagen and a “git ‘er done” sort of guy, much to his parents’ chagrin. Three of the most important things in his life were his brothers, Mark and Paul, and his girlfriend, Anita Renemans. Scott was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington. Scott is finally home in Casper, where he always wanted to be, buried in Oregon Trail State Veteran’s Cemetery in Evansville, Wyoming.
Born: December 29, 1965 in Merced County, California
Died: September 17, 2008 in Gerdia Seria, Afghanistan
Capt. Bruce E. Hays, 42, of Cheyenne, Wyoming was assigned to the Wyoming Joint Forces Headquarters, Wyoming Army National Guard, Cheyenne, Wyo.; died Sept. 17 in Gerdia Seria, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. Joshua W. Harris, 1st Lt. Mohsin A. Naqvi and Staff Sgt. Jason A. Vazquez.
To be updated…
Born: March 18, 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Died: January 15, 2007 in Iraq
Cpl. Jason J. Corbett of Casper, Wyoming attended Kelly Walsh High School in Casper where competed on the high school’s track team. His name then was Jason Vantrease; he changed it in 2004. He is remembered as a hard-working and likeable student who ran track, studied Latin and loved science. It was about this time that his interest in the military begin to flourish the latter part of his senior year of high school. Before his senior year of high school, Corbett and some of his classmates visited Italy and Greece. He had read so much about the Romans and the Greeks, so he went to see what it was like. While in Athens, he had a friend time him as he ran around the ancient Olympic stadium. He was a skier and a snowboarder and enjoyed sports and the outdoors. He graduated high school in 2001 and studied biology at Casper College until December 2003. An avid fisherman, he enjoyed fishing for salmon, biking snowboarding, hunting, and hiking while living in Anchorage, Alaska, While stationed in Alaska, he met his fiancee and the couple planned to marry sometime after he returned from Iraq. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, James A. Corbett and his great-grandparents. Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Megan and Ken Schafer; brother, Jonathan Vantrease, stepbrothers, Brandon and Kelly Schafer; grandparents, Mary Lynn Corbett, Pat Corbett, Frieda Schafer, and Bobby and Inez Gould; aunts and uncles, Laurie Longtine, Geoff Corbett., and Gary and Pam Schafer; cousin, Genoveva Mendoza; and goddaughter, Jaidyn. He was 23.
Army
1st Battalion
501st Parachute Infantry Regiment
4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne)
25th Infantry Division
Fort Richardson, Alaska
Burial is at Highland Cemetery in Casper, Wyoming
Born: April 1, 1947 in Oneida, New York
Died: December 14, 2006 in Thermopolis, Wyoming
Staff Sgt. Theodore A. Spatol of Thermopolis, Wyoming joined the Navy Seabees, after high school graduation, serving three tours in Vietnam. He later joined the Army National Guard, where he was enlisted until the time of his death, serving his country for 40 years. He died due to complication of pancreatic cancer. He served in Vietnam as well as Iraq until he became ill. He was 59.
Army
1041st Engineer Company
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Born: July 16, 1984 in Laramie, Wyoming
Died: November 11, 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq
Lance Cpl. Kyle W. Burns of Laramie, Wyoming was an avid fan of all sports. In high school he enjoyed hockey, played soccer and baseball. He came out in all kinds of extreme weather conditions and would be the one with team letters painted on his chest. Kyle learned to fish with his dad almost as soon as he learned to talk. The sometimes practical joker graduated high school in 2002, and joined the Marines. He leaves his parents, Jocelyn, and Robert Burns, and a brother, Kristopher. He was killed at age 20 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.
Marines
1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Marine Division
I Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Pendleton, California
Burial is at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado – Sec S Site 5891-A
To be updated…
