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War on Terror
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March 03, 2002


A soldier was killed last Friday in Afghanistan. He was one of about forty soldiers who were fighting along with the
Afghans in a battle with Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces holed up in mountain caves. It is said there are about 5,000
of them who re-grouped there. The name of the soldier has not been published yet. Ten others were wounded and
there were at least three Afghan deaths.


Lt. Cmdr. Christopher M. Blaschum, a F-14 fighter pilot had to eject from his jet.
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=979   He died after he and his co-pilot were rescued.
Lieut. J.G. Rafe Wysham, 25 is listed in good condition.  Both men were with the 143 Fighter Squadron out of
Virginia Beach, VA. Commander Christopher Blaschum leaves a wife and two children.


March 05, 2002

At least nine service persons lost their lives March 04, 2002. Their names, rank, and personal information are not
yet available.

March 05, 2002   9:19 p.m. central time

The names of the seven who died in the fighting over the weekend were released this afternoon. The four Green
Beret's, one Navy Seal, and two Air Force Special Operations officers were flown to Ramstien AFB where the
body of the soldier killed Saturday was taken earlier. They were greeted with great respect due hero's.  Their flag
draped caskets were taken individually to waiting vehicles. It is not yet known when they will return to the USA.


The two Special Operations officers were Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, 36, of Waco, TX; Senior Airman Jason
D. Cunningham, 26, of Camarillo, CA.


The Navy Seal was  Neil C. Roberts, 32 of Woodland, CA.
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=1008


The Green Beret's were PFC Matthew A. Commons, 21,  of Boulder City, NV, Sgt. Bradley S. Crose, 27, of
Orange Park, FL,  Sgt. Philip J. Svitak, 31, of Joplin,  Missouri, Spc. Marc A. Anderson, 30, of Brandon, FL.
http://www.dtic.mil/armylink/news/Mar2002/a20020314rangerstory.html


The soldier killed Saturday, March 02, 2002 was C WO Stanley L. Harriman, 34, of Wade, N.C.
http://www.dtic.mil/armylink/news/Mar2002/a20020306anacondaloss.html


The battle continues in the mountains of Afghanistan. The terrain is difficult with mountains as high as eleven
thousand feet and more.  Men and machines find it difficult to work at that altitude. There are Afghan, German,
French, Norwegian, and Swedish forces working together to get this battle over with as quickly as possible.


March 09, 2002
The remains of the fallen service men were returned to the Dover, DL  AFB on March 06, 2002. They were
greeted by honor guards and draped in the American Flag. President Bush commended them and said they gave
up their lives for all Americans.
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Courtesy of the United States Air Force
http://www.af.mil/news/efreedom/slideshow/wip_archive.html
March 29, 2002
A Navy Seal was killed yesterday while on a training mission in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

April 02, 2002

The Navy Seal killed in Kandahar was  Chief Hospital Corpsman Matthew J Bourgeois, age 35, of Tallahassee,
FL.
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=1172 You will see a picture of Corpsman Bourgeois, which
was released by his family for publication on the official US Navy page.


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April 15, 2002
At least four service persons were killed near Kandahar, Afghanistan around 3:00 a.m. eastern time. They were in
the process of loading Russian and Chinese bombs. These bombs were buried to keep them from being destroyed
during the air campaign that started last October. They were very old, unstable bombs that were manufactured in
the seventies. The total of dead and injured, along with their names have not been released as of 8:48 p.m. central
time. More about this as the information becomes available.


April 16, 2002
The names of the four service men who were killed yesterday in Afghanistan were released today. The four service
men who were killed in the munitions explosion are: Staff Sgt. Justin Galewski, 28, of Kansas, Sgt. 1st Class
Daniel Romero, 30, of Colorado, Staff Sgt. Brian Craig, 27, of Texas, and Sgt. Jamie Maugans, 27, of Kansas.
One other soldier was seriously injured. His name has not been released as of 8:28 p.m., central time.


Please visit http://www.dtic.mil/armylink/news/Apr2002/a20020416afghanexplode.html for more information.


The deaths of these four soldiers brings the total of service persons killed either in combat or accidentally to thirty
seven men and women.


September 17, 2002
Jamie Maugans must have been a very special person because he has special friends who loved him very much.
You can visit their tribute to their friend at http://www.jamiemaugans.com/. There is a letter on the site that was sent
to two of his friends  that is not suitable reading for children.


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May 20, 2002
A Special Forces Sgt. was killed in E Afghanistan Sunday May 19, 2002.  He was participating in Operation
Condor when he was shot and killed by enemy fire. Sgt. Gene Arden Vance, Jr. was a ten year veteran of the
WV National Guard. He was 38 years old. He leaves a wife of less than a year and a teenage daughter by a
previous marriage.


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June 11, 2002
The outer walls of the Pentagon were finished today and a permanent memorial to the one hundred and eighty four
persons was dedicated. The charred limestone block that finished the wall reconstruction was from the attack on
the building on September 11, 2001. It simply said "September 11, 2001" on the face of the stone. It held much
more significance though. A permanent memory box was placed behind the stone slab. It contained pens from the
first firemen to arrive on the scene on 9-11-01 and other very personal items of remembrance. It is never going to
be removed and opened. It is to remain there as long as the building does.


To all the passengers on the plane and all those who died in the building itself, I salute you. You are all my heroes.
http://pentagonmemorial.nab.usace.army.mil/


June 12, 2002
An Air Force MC-130 Special Operations plane crashed during the night near Gardez, Afghanistan. There
were seven Air Force and three Army personnel on board. Three are presumed dead and seven others injured.
More details when they  become available.

http://www.dtic.mil/armylink/news/Jun2002/a20020612mc130crash.html


June 15, 2002
Dead are Air Force Tech. Sgt. Sean M. Corlew, 37, of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Air Force Staff Sgt. Anissa A.
Shero, 31, of Grafton, W. Va.; and Army Sgt. 1st Class Peter P. Tycz II, 32, of Tonawanda, N.Y.

Please visit http://www.dtic.mil/armylink/news/Jun2002/a20020614afcrash0612.html for more details.

September 19, 2002

A friend of Army Sgt. 1st Class Peter P. Tycz II sent me the address of a memorial site set up for Peter. You can
visit the site at http://www.petertycz.com/