Freedom Remembered

Born: April 3, 1975 in Willits, California
Died: June 21, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt. Jason J. Buzzard of Constantinople, California graduated from Ukiah High School in 1993 and although he was not involved in organized sports in school he liked to ski, and the family often traveled to Tahoe. As a kid, he enjoyed spending time with his extended family spending many weekends with cousins and grandparents. After graduation, Jason stayed in the area, working various jobs and attending classes at Mendocino College, but his heart was drawn to the military. It was something he always wanted to do, so he enlisted in 1998. After basic training, he was stationed in Colorado. He spent a year in Korea. When he returned to the United States, he was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas. He married his high school sweetheart Michele, and together they had two children, Michala and Tristan. He was deployed to Iraq November 2005, shortly after Thanksgiving. A few single soldiers from his unit joined his family at the dinner table that year. He was a hunter and a fisherman, who enjoyed being in the great outdoors with his father and uncles. He liked to four-wheel in his Jeep and bowl and spend time with his kids. He also loved to barbecue and was a self -proclaimed king of the grill. Whether he was cooking up something experimental, like his blue-cheese hamburgers, or just grilling his favorite tri-tip, he was always happy at the grill, going so far as to cook during a Colorado thunderstorm when lightning was striking the ground nearby. At the time of his death, Jason, who had already re-enlisted once, was considering leaving the Army when his tour was up in February to be closer to his family. He wanted to come back to this area, to come back home. He married his high school sweetheart Michele, and together they had two children. His Awards and Decorations include, the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal (2), National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge and EOD patch. He died at age 31 in Iraq, south of Baghdad, serving his country as the result of enemy action.
Army
2nd Battalion
8th Infantry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
4th Infantry Division
Fort Hood, Texas

Burial is at Ukiah Cemetery in Ukiah, California