Freedom Remembered

Birth: November 14, 1971 – Lead, South Dakota
Died: May 9, 2003 – Samarrah, Iraq

Chief Warrant Officer Gukeisen was assigned to the 571st Air Medical Company, Fort Carson, Colorado. His company responded to an urgent call to evacuate an 11 year old Iraqi child who had stepped on a landmine. Two Black Hawks were dispatched from headquarters at an airfield just north of Tikrit and arrived about 20 minutes later at a landing area near Samarrah. Hans was a former Green Beret and was on his first aviation assignment.

Burial: Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, South Dakota – Section A, Site 219

Birth: May 10, 1975 – Blairsville, Pennsylvania

Died: October 15, 2009 – Kandahar province, Afghanistan

Staff Sgt Stivison was assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colorado as a combat engineer. He died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. His battalion had been patrolling roads in that area to spot and destroy bombs and had been the target of frequent attacks and bombings. Glen was a 1994 graduate of Blairsville High School where he played football and wrestled. After graduation, he spent a year at Lock Haven University and then enrolled at Westmoreland County Community College. While in Iraq, he worked combing mine fields, disarming bombs and setting up coordinated explosives to blow up bridges. He was also charged with clearing the roads of IEDs. His unit was transferred to Afghanistan in May. His awards include the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Award, Army Achievement Medal: 7, Army Good Conduct Medal: 5, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Combat Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with Combat Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon: 2, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Combat Action Badge, and Driver/Mechanic Badge.

Burial: Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Birth: July 5, 1979 – San Bernardino, California
Died: October 16, 2003 – Karbala, Iraq

Sgt Grilley was assigned to 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He and other soldiers were attempting to negotiate with armed men who were congregating after curfew on a road near a mosque. The Iraqis opened fire killing three soldiers and wounding seven others. Sean grew up in southern Orange County and attended Mission Viejo High School where he met his wife, Luciana. Sean joined the Army in 2001 and served in the Joint Security Area at Camp Bonifas, Korea, before reporting to Fort Campbell and the 194th MP Co. He was a team leader in 2nd Platoon and although a graduate of the Special Forces Assessment and Selection process, he chose to stay with his unit to deploy to Iraq.

Burial: Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, California – Section 47, Site 482

Birth: January 10, 1986 – Tulsa, Oklahoma
Died: August 17, 2009 – Baghdad, Iraq

Spc Hastings was assigned to the 582nd Medical Logistics Company, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command, Fort Hood, Texas. He died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. Matthew graduated in 2005 from Broken Arrow Alternative Academy in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He joined the Army on August 8, 2006 as a light-wheel vehicle mechanic. Matthew was proud of how far he had come and what he had accomplished in the military. It wasn’t always easy for him with the choices he had made, but he found a path with the Army and enjoyed the structure it provided. He received several awards and decorations, including the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service and the Good Conduct Medal for exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity.

Burial: Ridgelawn Cemetery, Collinsville, Oklahoma

Birth: September 11, 1982 – Emerson, New Jersey
Died: May 30, 2003 – Iraq

Spc. Griffin was assigned to the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was traveling from Mosul to Tikrit in a three-vehicle convoy – two humvees and a light medium tactical vehicle during a storm. A civilian vehicle dodged a pothole causing the humvees to swerve. He graduated in 2000 from Emerson High School and “pretended” he was going to Bergen Community College for a year before he enlisted in the Army on July 17, 2001.

Burial: George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, New Jersey

Birth: July 9, 1970 – Texas
Died: April 14, 2003 – Iraq

Spc Goward was assigned to 1460th Transportation Company, Midland, Michigan. He was killed when his truck entered a dust cloud and rear-ended the truck in front of him. Richard served on active duty with the Army from 1990 to 1996, and then began working at the Saint Louis Correctional Facility. He joined the Michigan National Guard after the September 11 terrorist attacks and felt by joining the military.

Burial: Richland Lutheran Cemetery, Saginaw, Michigan

Birth: July 19, 1961 – Wurzburg, Germany
Died: March 9, 2004 – Tampa, Iraq

Sgt 1st Class Gottfried was assigned to the 1st Division Support Command, 1st Infantry Division, Kitzengen, Germany. He was killed when his Humvee was hit by an improvised explosive device. Richard had been in the Army for almost 20 years and was about to retire. He had stayed in Iraq because there was a shortage of workers in his military career, water-treatment specialist. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.

Burial: Riverview Cemetery, Jefferson City, Missouri

Birth:
Died: September 19, 2009 – Balad, Iraq

Spc Cote was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He died of wounds sustained when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.

Burial: Denham Springs Memorial Cemetery, Denham Springs, Louisiana

Birth: Hudson, New York
Died: September 16, 2009 – Helmand province, Afghanistan

Sgt 1st Class McCloskey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle September 15 with an improvised explosive device while conducting a mounted patrol in the city of Ghur Ghuri. Shawn grew up in Peachtree City, Georgia and joined the Army after working in the construction trade for several years. He enlisted in January 2002 as a Special Forces candidate and earned the elite Green Beret in May 2004 as a Special Forces engineer sergeant. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, non-commissioned officer professional development ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Special Operations Diver Supervisor Badge and the Special Forces Tab.

Burial: Westminster Garden Cemetery, Peachtree City, Georgia

Birth: June 14, 1980 – Jamaica
Died: April 4, 2003 – Iraq

Cpl Gooden was assigned to 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was killed in action during a firefight in central Iraq. The last time Bernard saw his mother was on Christmas when she cooked his favorite Jamaican food. They sat on the floor and talked about his dream to become a lawyer. He had been stationed overseas for a few months and the straight-A student had been excited to go.

Burial: St. Ann Parish, White Sands, Jamaica