Freedom Remembered

Born: September 9, 2024
Died: May 5, 2024 in Afghanistan

Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty of Florida became a commissioned officer in June 1986 after graduating from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C. Assigned to the 10th Mountain Division in 1997 and deployed to Bosnia. Deployed to Afghanistan in March 2002. He was commissioned into the infantry in 1986 upon graduation from the UNCC. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms Service Staff School, and the US Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC). His tactical assignments include service in Panama, Alaska, Fort Benning, and two assignments at Fort Drum. He began his military career as a Platoon Leader, Scout Platoon Leader, and Company Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 508th Airborne Infantry, Fort Kobbe, Panama, Jul 87 to Jan 90. Upon completion of the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to the 6th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Oct 90 to Mar 94. He served as an Assistant G3 Operations Officer, Assistant Operations Officer in 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, and Company Commander in 4-9 Infantry. From 1997-1998, he served as the Regimental Assistant Operations Officer, 75th Ranger Regiment. Following CGSC, he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division as Chief of G3 Plans, serving in Bosnia-Herzegovinia from Jul 99 to Mar 00. Subsequent assignments included Battalion Operations Officer, 2d Battalion, 14th Infantry and Brigade Operations Officer, 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. His other assignments include exchange officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; Small Group Instructor at the Infantry Officer Advanced Course; and the Infantry Colonels Assignment Officer at Army Human Resources Command. LTC Fenty’s awards and badges include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with 4 OLCs, Army Commendation Medal with 1 OLC, Army Achievement Medal with 1 OLC, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Overseas Ribbon (3), and the NATO Medal. His decorations include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (w/star), Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, and Pathfinder Badge. He is survived his wife, Kristin, a daughter and his parents. He died east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed during combat operations at age 41.

Army
commander
3rd Squadron
71st Cavalry Regiment
3rd Brigade Combat Team
Fort Drum New York

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia - Sec 60 Site 8342

Spc. Daquane D. Rivers, 21, of Marianna, Fla., died March 14, from injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Paktika province, Afghanistan. Rivers was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany. Demetrius, as most people new him, is a 2009 graduate of Marianna High School.

Orange Hill Cemetery

To be updated…

Born: December 4, 2024 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Died: February 23, 2024 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan

Sgt. Joshua A. Born, 25, of Niceville, Fla., died Feb. 23, in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit came under small arms fire. He was assigned to the 385th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Stewart, Ga. He attended Niceville High School and joined the Army March 15, 2007. The unit was deployed to Afghanistan in mid-January. It was his first deployment. Sgt Born was posthumously promoted and awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge and NATO Medal.

Mound City National Cemetery in Mound City, Illinois

Visitation will be from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday, March 5, 2024 at Crain Funeral Home, 829 N. West End Blvd., Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Funeral services for Sgt. Joshua Born will be held at 10:00 AM, Tuesday, March 6, 2024 at the funeral home with John Windings officiating. Interment will follow at Mound City National Cemetery with full military honors. Memorials may be made to the family to prepare care packages for Josh’s unit and will be accepted at the funeral home.

To be updated…

Born: January 20, 2024
Died: December 13, 2024 in Landstuhl, Germany

Pfc. Jalfred D. Vaquerano of Apopka, Florida died at age 20 in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered from enemy small-arms fire while deployed in Logar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He attended Forest Lake Academy. Pvt Vaquerano was an Infantryman (MOS 11B) who entered the Army from Tampa, in January 2011. He was previously stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. His awards and decorations include, the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon.

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia - Sec 60 Site 9827

To be updated…

Born: January 20, 2024 in St. Augustine, Florida
Died: November 16, 2024 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Pfc. Matthew C. Colin of Navarre, Florida died at age 22 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Matthew grew up in Navarre, graduating in 2007 from Navarre High School. He joined the Army in February 2010, completing basic training at Fort Benning and arrived at Fort Wainwright in September 2010.

Burial is at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida - Sec 51 Site 58

To be updated…

Born: January 15, 2024 in Orlando, Florida
Died: November 11, 2024 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Pfc. Theodore B. Rushing of Longwood, Florida died at age 25 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment; 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, N.Y. Teddy joined the Army in March 2011. After training at Fort Benning, GA, he was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division and arrived at Fort Drum in July 2011. He deployed with his unit in August 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards and decorations include, The Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal and the Army Combat Action Badge.

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia - Sec 60 Site 9858

To be updated…

Born: April 28, 2024
Died: October 13, 2024 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Spc. Jeremiah T. Sancho of Palm Bay, Florida died at age 23 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. Jerry joined the Army in January, 2010, and after completing training at Fort Benning, Georgia, came to Fort Drum in May 2010. He deployed with his unit in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in March. Sancho’s awards and decorations include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal,and the Combat Action Badge.

To be updated…

Born: October 26, 2024 in Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Died: September 28, 2024 in Ghazni, Afghanistan

1st Lt. Ivan D. Lechowich, 27, of Valrico, Fla., Sep 28, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He attended King High School and the University of Florida. Ivan had become a first-time father just a week ago. His daughter was born a week early and the first lieutenant was able to see her via Skype from Afghanistan. Originally enlisting in the Army in July of 2009, Lechowich entered officer candidate school and was commissioned about half a year later at Fort Benning, Ga., in January 2010 and subsequently went through the Engineer Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Leonard Wood; he then became the company executive officer for the 554th Engineer Battalion Sapper Leader Course, also at Fort Leonard Wood. By December he was assigned to the battalion staff of the 5th Engineer Battalion, also at Fort Leonard Wood, but after a short time became a platoon leader in the 515th Sapper Company and deployed to Afghanistan in April of 2011. He was awarded the Bronze Star medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge. In addition, he earned the Sapper Tab, which is the engineer equivalent to the Ranger Tab.

Serenity Meadows Memorial Park

To be updated…

Born: November 2, 2024 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Died: September 22, 2024 in Baghdad, Iraq

Sgt. Andy C. Morales, 32, of Longwood, Fla., died Sept. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Orlando, Fla. He leaves his wife, Mariela, his daughter, Nyobi Gonzalez, his daughter, Naira V. Caraballo-Morales, his brother, Robert Caraballo-Morales and three sisters, Glorian Caraballo-Morales, Mercian Lesser, and Jeannie Harris.

Burial is at Oaklawn Park Cemetery in Sanford, Florida

To be updated…

Born: April 28, 2024 in Danvers, Massachusetts
Died: September 18, 2024 Takhar, Afghanistan

Spc. Ryan J. Cook, 29, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died Sept. 18 in Takhar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Beal Memorial Cemetery in Fort Walton Beach, Florida

To be updated…