Sgt Joshua James Frazier
Born: June 28, 1982 in Virginia
Died: February 6, 2007 in Al Anbar, Iraq
Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier of Fredericksburg, Virginia was scheduled to return from Iraq in April, but decided to re-up for a third tour. The newly promoted sergeant didn’t want to leave the young Marines he was now leading on their own. By staying he believed he could keep his men safe. He collected guns and loved all things Spider-Man. He had a huge handshake, but a warm, sheepish smile. After graduating from Boot Camp in February 2003, Josh was deployed to Okinawa, Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq. When he returned from Iraq in April 2005, Josh was determined to return because the job was not finished. The thought of sending young men to Iraq with no combat experience broke his heart. Josh believed that he could save lives by bringing his knowledge and experience to the fight. He lobbied for a second deployment, transferred battalions, and even extended his time in order to return to Iraq in September 2006. While in Iraq for his second deployment, even though Josh had the opportunity to return home, he volunteered for another extension because his men did not have that choice. During his time in service, Josh was promoted quickly because of merit and not length of service. His decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and four awards of the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. His eagerness to return to help his fellow Marines sums up his personality. He was compassionate, caring, and willing to put the safety and wellbeing of others above his own. Josh was always the first to help his family and friends in a time of need. Josh was a strong man in body, will, spirit, and personality. He had a firm handshake, a warm smile, a hearty laugh, and a hug that gave the sense of protection. His only fear was that someone might get hurt when he had the ability to save them. He was 24.
Marines
Company A
1st Battalion
6th Marine Regiment
2nd Marine Division
II Marine Expeditionary Force
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Burial is at Montague Baptist Church in King George, Virginia
The Sgt Joshua James Frazier by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
