Names, Not Numbers Part 3
Army Sgt. Bradley J. Skelton
Bradley J. Skelton had done one tour in Iraq, but last year volunteered to go again because he thought someone with more to lose might be better off staying home.
“He told me he wanted to give someone else a break who was married and had a family,” said his uncle, Charles Skelton.
Skelton, 40, of Gordonville, Mo., was killed Feb. 6 in Baghdad of wounds from an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood. A 1985 high school graduate, he served many years as a firefighter with the Gordonville Fire Department.
“He was a good guy, outspoken, always there to help anybody, as much with the fire department as he was in the service,” fire chief Mark Koerber said.
He was a hunter and fisherman who collected arrowheads and loved the military. “Rambrad” was one of his nicknames. “He died doing exactly what he wanted to do,” said friend Brian McCallister.
McCallister has known Skelton for 38 years. As young boys they lived down the street from each other. “He was rambunctious,” McCallister said. “He was always available to do something with.”
He is survived by his sister, Carmen.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Luis A. Souffront
Luis A. Souffront had traveled from Guam to Iraq, trained to be a salvage diver and to defuse and dispose of explosives for the U.S. Navy.
“The water was his life and joining the Navy was his passion,” said Rosanna Tejeda, one of his cousins. “We have lost a precious person.”
Souffront, 25, of Miami, died Feb. 7 in Iraq from wounds sustained from an explosive. He was assigned to a SEAL team in Virginia Beach, Va. Though not a member of the SEALs, the Navy’s elite special-forces unit, Souffront faced the same day-to-day dangers, said Lt. David Luckett, a Naval Special Warfare spokesman based in Virginia.
“They train side by side with their SEAL counterparts in preparation for deployments and are brothers-in-arms on the battlefield,” Luckett said.
“Respected for his skill and courage, he was valued as a teammate by the SEALs he fought beside,” said his commanding officer in a statement. “His service to our country represented the highest ideals of our community and his loss affects us all.”
Souffront is survived by his mother and father.
Army Sgt. Corey E. Spates
After watching Corey E. Spates through his first tour in Iraq, Army Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Lowe sponsored him to become a sergeant. When he went in for the test he had to answer 35 questions. “He only missed one. I was so proud of him,” Lowe said. “Ever since he put his sergeant stripes on, he’s been excellent.”
Spates, 21, of LaGrange, Ga., was killed Feb. 10 in Diyala Province when his vehicle hit an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Hood.
Within months of his arrival in Iraq, Spates asked his mother for help. “Everywhere his platoon went, they saw children who had nothing. They had no soccer balls, no school supplies, nothing to occupy them,” said his mother, Joy Thomas. “Originally he wanted me to collect soccer balls for the children, then after he thought about it, he decided he wanted school supplies for the Iraqi children.”
During a 30-day leave, Spates ate dinner at Pizza Villa and met a brown-haired waitress that captivated his heart. Celeste would become his wife.
Spates was such an avid Georgia Bulldog fan that his family requested everyone wear black and red for his funeral.
Army Spc. Matthew F. Straughter
Donna Norman got to know Matthew F. Straughter while she manned a ballfield concession stand and the young soldier was staying at the armory waiting for deployment.
Norman and Straughter would chat during summer games. He called her “Mama Popcorn.” The two exchanged e-mails before he went overseas. She adopted him as an angel soldier.
“I received an e-mail from him,” she recalled. “He said, ‘I’m in Iraq now, I can’t tell you where. I really enjoy getting the things you send me. They make me laugh, sometimes it’s the only time during the day I do laugh. Thanks, Mama Popcorn.”‘
Straughter, 27, of St. Charles, Mo., was killed by a roadside bomb Jan. 31 in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood.
Straughter joined the National Guard as a combat engineer in December 2005. He served on Operation Jump Start, the border security mission in Arizona, from November 2006 to June 2007.
He is survived by his wife, Renee, and five children.
“He was proud of his children, his family was important to him. He would come to the stands and watch children playing ball. I knew he was thinking of his own children,” said Norman.
Army Pfc. Jack T. Sweet
High school counselor Kevin Durr remembered Jack T. Sweet as a determined young man, inspired by his goal of joining the Army. “He set himself back a little bit early in high school,” Durr said. “But, all of a sudden, he said, ‘I’m going to move forward and get on with the rest of life.’ That’s the kind of person he was.”
Sweet, 19, of Alexandria Bay, N.Y., was killed by a roadside bomb Feb. 8 near Jawwalah. He earned a GED and was assigned to Fort Drum. “You can’t talk about Jack without smiling,” family friend Patricia S. Wagoner said.
Principal Ronald J. Hochmuth said he had known Sweet since the seventh grade and that he was full of life. “He always had a twinkle in his eye,” Mr. Hochmuth said.
He is survived by his father, Glenn O. Sweet; mother, Theresa Nester; and stepmother, Penny.
Sweet’s father described his son as a “good old country boy” who loved to hunt and fish. Father and son often hunted together. During his final trip home, Glenn Sweet arranged a duck-hunting trip as a special treat.
“He loved what he was doing,” the elder Sweet said.
Army Sgt. Timothy R. Van Orman
Timothy R. Van Orman relished tracking deer and other quarry with his father on his family’s 110 acres and neighboring gamelands. He never outgrew his yen for liver and onions, and it was hard to catch him sloppily dressed.
“Tim always liked to look his best,” said his mother, Kelly Van Orman. “He probably was my fussiest child when it came to clothes. He might wear blue jeans, but they had to be ironed and looking nice.”
Van Orman, 24, of Port Matilda, Pa., was killed Feb. 5 by an explosive in Muqdadiyah. He was a 2002 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Drum.
He played sports early on — loved NASCAR racing and the Pittsburgh Steelers — but discovered the trombone in junior high school. He went on to become a stalwart member of his high school jazz, concert and marching bands.
“When Tim was focused on something, he gave wholeheartedly, 100 percent,” Kelly Van Orman said. “It didn’t matter what it was.”
He served in Afghanistan, followed in 2006 by his wedding and then a deployment to Iraq. He is survived by his wife, Catherine, and an infant daughter, Halie.
Army Staff Sgt. Javares J. Washington
Bridgette Smith, one of Javares J. Washington’s cousins, told mourners about the man she described as a best friend, confidant and playmate. Inseparable as children, they shared a fondness for superhero Underoos. “He was Batman. I was Batgirl,” she remembered.
As they grew older, Washington became her real-life protector. “He would tell me which guys to stay away from,” she said. “When I got married, Jay told me he trusted my husband to take care of me. That meant so much to me to have his blessing.”
Washington, 27, of Pensacola, Fla., was killed Feb. 11 in a vehicle accident in Kuwait. He was a 1999 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Campbell.
The former running back and track star in high school left Pensacola to play football on a full scholarship at Northern Arizona University.
He also is survived by a 6-year-old son, Jayden; his wife, Letrica; a 9-month-old child, Tristyne; and a 7-year-old stepson, Mekhi.
“He loved me,” Jayden said. “He hugged me every time he saw me, and I was just happy to see him. I just remember I’m going to see him back in heaven.”
Marine Lance Cpl. Drew W. Weaver
Prior to joining the Marines, Drew W. Weaver worked at Jiffy Lube with April Meierotto. She said she felt grateful to have known him.
“He was the best kid anyone could ever want,” Meierotto said. “He was always there for anybody, and he made the shop a lot of fun.”
Weaver, 20, of St. Charles, Mo., died Feb. 21 during combat in Anbar province. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Twentynine Palms.
“Drew is a true hero. He was very well liked by so many people throughout our community,” Mayor Patti York said. “He volunteered his time for our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice for his community. I’m very proud of him.”
Ken Mayer, a school resource officer said Weaver decided to join the Marines while a student. “When he came back from basic training, I asked him if this was what he wanted to do. He said ‘absolutely.’ I’m proud of him. He’s a hero to me,” Mayer said.
He is survived by his parents, Brian Weaver and Diane Spaulding.
“He tried to find the best in whatever situation he was in,” said Scott Voelkl, an assistant principal. “He didn’t let things get to him.”
Army Spc. Christopher J. West
Christopher J. West was smart and funny, “the life of the party,” said his sister, Lauren West. “He loved hard, he played hard, he fought hard. He loved his country. He was so proud to be an American.”
West, 26, of Arlington, Texas, died Feb. 4 in Balad of wounds suffered from an explosive in Muqdadiyah. He graduated with honors in 2004 from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and was assigned to Fort Bragg.
West was a combat medic who “brought an upbeat attitude to the platoon that spread to everyone he met,” said 1st Lt. Rich Demarais, West’s platoon leader. “He was loved by his brothers in the platoon.”
West was fourth-generation Army, his family said. His father, John West, served in Vietnam as a Ranger and Green Beret. Christopher West was 4 years old when he made the decision to join the Army, his sister said.
“He died doing what he loved,” his sister said. “It was the only thing in his life that he felt was challenging him, and he loved it. He felt like he had found his calling.”
He also is survived by his mother, Hattie.
Army Sgt. Gary D. Willett
Once Gary D. Willett became a sergeant, he worked hard to be one of the best noncommissioned officers in the Army, said Staff Sgt. Richard Gallego, a friend. “We always wanted to outshine other NCOs,” Gallego said.
Willett once caught 2nd Lt. Daniel O’Connor chewing gum in formation and took the new soldier to task. Willett made such an impression on O’Connor that he swore off gum.
“He required much of those who served with him,” O’Connor said. “I can’t even think of Sgt. Willett as a private. I imagine he came into the Army as a sergeant.”
Willett, 34, of Alamogordo, N.M., was killed Feb. 8 in Taji when his vehicle struck an explosive. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks.
T
he oldest of three children, Willett was known to fight for the underdog. And when he set his mind to do something, it was best to get out of his way, said Patrick Mills, Willett’s stepfather. “If it was there, he did it,” Mills said. “He was going to do it all.”
His family always knew Willett was destined for public service, though they thought he might become a firefighter or police officer. He enlisted in the Army in 1995.
He is survived by his son, Zeno Daily, 9.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson
Peggy Habian said she and her son, Robert J. Wilson, talked about what should happen if he were killed in Iraq.
“He said, ‘If something ever happens, I don’t want a lot of articles in the paper,”‘ Habian said. “He was a humble servant of the Army, not a media person.”
Wilson, of Boynton Beach, Fla., died Jan. 26 of wounds suffered from an explosive in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and was serving his third Iraq tour.
“He was such an amazing guy, and he lived for what he loved, and loved for what he lived. I am so very thankful to have been able to call him my friend,” Kami Horton said.
Wilson entered the Army three months after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Boynton Beach city officials com-memorated Wilson at his funeral.
“Sgt. Wilson as an American soldier was performing his duty so that citizens of another country could someday experience peace and prosperity,” said City Manager Kurt Bressner. “It seems fitting that the Boynton Beach community should pause, honor his service and say thank you.”
He also is survived by his father, Willie Wilson, and stepfather, Kevin Habian.
Army Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young
Joshua A.R. Young was a quiet young man and an accomplished artist. Close friend Larry Butler remembers sitting at a pizza joint with pals one night and watching Young draw the scene on a piece of paper. “And about 15 minutes later he hands us this picture of me and my two friends, the whole background the table and everything. It was great,” he said.
Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore., died of wounds Jan. 28 from an explosive in Mosul. He was a 2004 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Carson.
His sister, Brandi Yanez, recalled their last phone call, made memorable because they got the Web camera working. That allowed Brandi and her 5-year-old son, Dominyk, to see Josh. And it gave the soldier a chance to see Dominyk happily running around in his own camouflage gear.
Young, who was born in Whittier, Calif., and grew up in Oregon, played high school football and loved animals. He aspired to earn a degree in computer graphic design.
“He was a good boy,” said Young’s father, Anthony. “He was a good son. A good loving son. He cared about other people.”
He also is survived by his mother, Dawnya, and stepmother, Mary.
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