Names, Stories, and Pictures of the Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Wire Reports | 3/22/03 | Wire Reports

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Names of the four US Marines who died in yesterday's helicopter crash:

Maj. Jay Thomas Aubin, 36, of Waterville, Maine

Capt. Ryan Anthony Beaupre, 30, of Bloomington, Ill.

Cpl. Brian Matthew Kennedy, 25, of Houston, Texas

Staff Sgt. Kendall Damon Watersbey, 29, of Baltimore, Md.

The Pentagon has just released the names of two more US Marines who were killed in Iraq. I'll post as soon as I find that.

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Captain Philip Stuart Guy, Royal Marines

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Marine Sholto Hedenskog, Royal Marines


http://www.news24.com/Regional_Papers/Components/Category_Article_Text_Template/0,2430,303_1339132~E,00.html

Fallen Royal Marine spent time in Helderberg before leaving for Iraq

BARELY a month before South African Sholto Hedenskog (26) died in a helicopter crash in Iraq, the young Royal Marine was going out with his cousins to the Dros at the Somerset Mall and spending time with his aunt and uncle in Somerset West.

Now the consolation that Bruce and Sheryl Hedenskog of Somerset West are clinging to is that their nephew died while living his dream of being a Royal Marine. He was one of the 12 Allied soldiers who died in a helicopter crash in Kuwait on Friday last week. Bruce and Sheryl saw Sholto a month ago when he spent two weeks in Somerset West before being deployed to Iraq. Bruce says Sholto was excited at the time to be going to Iraq, although he was apprehensive. "He said it was dangerous and that if something should happen, we should remember that it was his dream to be a Royal Marine," Bruce said this week. Sholto was his brother's son.

Sheryl explains that it was Sholto's "absolute dream" from the age of 14 to be a Royal Marine. He was born in Pretoria and graduated with a B.Sc in Human Movement from Rhodes University in 1998.

He joined the British army in 2000, not because he couldn't find employment in South Africa, Sheryl says, but because he had always wanted to be a Royal Marine.

Sheryl says that Sholto was also part of the US invasion of Afghanistan last year. The family were told of Sholto's death on Saturday. "It has been really, really traumatic for the whole family," Sheryl says.

"He was so young. What is it all going to help in the end? So many people are dying ..."

Sheryl says that Sholto's mom, who lives in Cape Town, last spoke to him on Tuesday night last week while he was being transferred. "His parents are absolutely shattered. We're all almost dumb from the shock."

Bruce, who works at Old Mutual Bank in Somerset West, says that Sholto's death has hit his three children very hard.

"When he was here on holiday he spent a lot of time with his cousins and they went out a lot. My kids were very close to him and are taking it very hard.

"It's tragic and senseless - but who can make head or tail of war? He was so happy in what he was doing and so proud. At least he died in the place he wanted to be."

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Marine Sholto Hedenskog, Royal Marines

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Operator Mechanic (Communications) Second Class Ian Seymour, 148 Commando Battery Royal Artillery, RN


http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/page.cfm?objectid=12767828&method=full&siteid=86024

WAR IN THE GULF: FAREWELL TO THEIR HERO IN A NOTE STAINED WITH TEARS

Billy Paterson


A TEAR-stained photograph of a proud dad and his beautiful wife and son revealed the first British victim of the Gulf War yesterday.

The family picture was attached to a floral tribute laid in memory of Royal Marine Ian Seymour, 28, who was among the eight commandos killed in the first helicopter tragedy of the war.

A message from his grieving wife Lainne, 27, and five-year-old son Beck read: "Daddy I love you loads, so does Mummy. We will miss you always. Lots of love from your baby bear and Tinkler Bell".

Ian was the first victim to be named as the British death toll in the Gulf rose to 14 yesterday after six Royal Navy servicemen died when two helicopters collided in mid-air.

An American officer was also killed when two Sea King helicopters crashed in the accidental collision five miles from Britain's flagship, HMS Ark Royal.

Six Americans have been so far been reported killed in combat, while a three-strong ITN camera crew were missing in a battle zone last night.

The incident happened a day after eight Royal Marine commandos and four US marines died when an American CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crashed in northern Kuwait.

The father-in-law of Ian Seymour revealed how the fallen hero doggedly overcame a knee problem to finally gain his coveted Green Beret after several attempts.

Geoffrey Granville, his wife Christine and their other daughter Lorraine, 22, spoke as they laid a floral tribute to Ian who was killed early Friday morning.

He said: "He was a fine lad. All we know is that we have lost a son-in- law. He was just great. We miss him already.

"He was a guy who was full of life. He was a brilliant son-in-law."

According to Geoffrey, Ian was a perfect family man. He said: "His son was the be all and end all."

Geoffrey said he and his wife found out about the tragedy after Lainne, who lives in Poole, Dorset, rang them at their Plymouth home just before 6pm on Friday.

Geoffrey added: "We have no idea why it took so long for them to tell her.

"The worst thing about it is that he wasn't killed in the heat of battle. I can't say how he would feel about that."

Geoffrey said that Ian had always wanted to be in the Marines and they were extremely proud at what he had achieved.

"It took two or three attempts for Ian to get his Green Beret, as he had a knee problem. He was very proud when he got it and so was everyone else," said Geoffrey.

"It was his dream job. He had always wanted to do it.

"He did not say a lot about his work. He knew he had a job to do. He was very quiet. He was a great guy. I am proud of him."

Geoffrey and Christine laid flowers outside the Stonehouse barracks in Plymouth as a tribute to Ian. They put down two bunches of flowers, which each included a photograph of their son-in-law.

Their messages read: "To Ian, our son-in- law. Will miss you loads, love mum and dad. Goodnight, god bless you."

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Marine Major Kevin G. Nave, 36, Union Lake, Mich

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Marine Major Kevin G. Nave, 36, Union Lake, Mich

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Marine Major Kevin G. Nave


http://www.clickondetroit.com/det/news/stories/news-207189720030328-140303.html

Community Mourns Loss Of Local Marine
Soldier's Death Ruled Accidental

Friends and family of Kevin Nave, a marine born and raised in White Lake Township, are lowering their flags to half-staff, but raising their spirits to honor his memory, Local 4 reported.

A sign at Anthony's Pizza & Party Shoppes in White Lake -- where Nave worked for five years during high school and college -- displayed the words, "We will miss you Maj Kevin Nave Thank You".

Military officials told Nave's wife that her 36-year-old husband had died in combat, the Marine's cousin Molly McAuliffe said from Nave's Oceanside, Calif., home Thursday night.

Nave's death was ruled an accident, but no further details have been released, Local 4 reported.

Friends of the soldier told Local 4 that as a teenager, Nave had talked of becoming a Marine and serving his country.

"I just can't believe it, but he definitely was a Marine ... that was his whole life," said Ellie Champeau, Nave's former manager at Anthony's.

An American flag and a Marine flag are displayed outside the White Lake home where Nave grew up with his two brothers and a sister.

Nave graduated in 1985 from Waterford Kettering High School where he was on the school's varsity football and wrestling teams. The flag outside Kettering was lowered to half-staff on Thursday in memory of one of the school's most accomplished alumni. After high school, Nave went to the University of Michigan on an ROTC scholarship. He graduated in 1989 with a degree in political science, family members said. Nave went to Marine officer's school immediately after college, said T.J. McCullough, a high school classmate and ex-Marine. His brother Tony called Kevin a warrior who liked sports and loved being a Marine, Local 4 reported. "He was motivated, focused and driven, but one of the nicest, most easygoing guys you'd ever want to meet," said McCullough. "I know he followed his dream. He was a career Marine."

Nave is survived by his wife, Carrie, and two children, Anthony, 6, and Maeve, who reportedly turned 5 on Thursday. He was stationed with his family at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif. He was with the 1st Marine Division, 5th Marines, 3rd Battalion, according to his brother.

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Marine Major Kevin G. Nave

[nutmeg]

Thank you for creating this thread.

Prayers for our fallen heroes and their families.

[amom]

Prayer V for our fallen.

Thanks

[Vigilantcitizen]

Prayers for our fallen heroes and their families.

Amen

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Staff Sgt. Donald C. May, Jr., 31, of Richmond, VA

Lance Cpl. Patrick T. O'Day, 20, of Santa Rosa, CA

Pfc. Francisco A. Martinez Flores, 21, of Los Angeles, CA

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Pfc. Michael Russell Creighton Weldon, 20, of Palm Bay, FL

Spc. Michael Edward Curtin, 23, of South Plains, NJ

Pfc. Diego Fernando Rincon, 19, of Conyers, GA

Sgt. Eugene Williams, 24, of Highland, NY

Staff Sgt. James W. Cawley, 41, of Roy, UT

Sgt. Michael V. Lalush, 23, of Troutville, VA

Sgt. Roderic A. Solomon , 32, from Fayetteville, NC

Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa, 33, of San Jose, CA

Lance Cpl. Jesus A. Suarez Del Solar, 20, of Escondido, CA

Lance Cpl. Thomas A. Blair, 24, of Wagoner, OK

Lance Cpl. Michael J. Williams, 31, of Yuma, AZ

Lance Cpl. William W. White, 24, of Brooklyn, NY

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Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa


http://www.modbee.com/local/story/6470940p-7415621c.html

Tracy Marine killed in Iraq

TRACY -- His picture in uniform is taped to a tree in front of his parents' house. Red, white and blue ribbons are wrapped around the trunk. They join three yellow ribbons that Joseph Menusa's family put up weeks ago for his safe return.
But he will not be coming home. The 33-year-old Marine gunnery sergeant, who lived in Tracy for three years until moving to Camp Pendleton in December, died Thursday in combat in Iraq.

Menusa and his wife, Stacy, and their 3-year-old son, Joshua, lived in Tracy while he commuted to the Bay Area for work as a Marine Corps recruiter.

His mother and stepfather, Virginia and Michael Kenny, have lived in Tracy for 12 years. They drove to Santa Maria on Saturday to be with Stacy.

Three Marines, including a chaplain, came calling on Friday to tell her of her husband's death.

The day before, Stacy Menusa, 30, received an e-mail from the wife of her husband's captain. He relayed that he and his company were in Iraq, "safe and well, morale was high and they were doing their jobs," Menusa said by telephone Saturday from her parents' house.

"I never thought that the next day the Marines would be standing at my door."

She said Marine officials said her husband died of a gunshot wound, but did not tell her the circumstances. He was a combat engineer, assigned to the 1st Combat Engineering Battalion, working in construction and demolition.

Menusa was a Marine for 14 years and served in the first Persian Gulf War. He had been stationed in Japan, Cuba and Hawaii before coming back to the Bay Area.

He worked as recruiter in Fremont, Hayward and Livermore, and for the past year and a half -- before rejoining the fighting force -- he worked in recruit processing at Moffett Field.

In processing, he made sure recruits met qualifications and rejected them if they did not. "He was the last person these guys saw before they got on the bus," his wife said.

She said that it probably never crossed her husband's mind that his recruits might go to war.

"It's not something you sign up to do -- go to war," she said. "He was just doing his job, looking for a few more good men. His job was to make sure they were the right ones."

That meant finding men and women who were "willing to do what he's doing -- serving their country."

Menusa almost ended up in the Air Force. It was 1989, and he was just out of high school in San Jose, preparing to sign up at the recruiting office.

"He saw a Marine walk in, wearing a dress uniform, and all the girls flocked around him. He changed his mind in a heartbeat," said his wife of nearly seven years.

Menusa was born in the Philippines and raised in San Jose, where he graduated from Silver Creek High School.

'A very, very proud Marine'

One of his younger brothers, David Menusa, followed him into the Marine Corps, and is a drill instructor in San Diego. Menusa's two other brothers, Jeff Kenny and Danny Kenny, also younger, live in Tracy.

"I know he was doing his job and he was a very, very proud Marine and I know he would not have chosen to have it any other way," Stacy Menusa said.

"He loved the Marine Corps -- that's why he joined it. He served it wholeheartedly. He was a good man, a good husband, a good father and he's going to be terribly, terribly missed by everyone."

She said she was not sure that her son understands what happened.

"We hugged him and told him Daddy went home to be with Jesus -- he knows who Jesus is because we go to church -- but as far as understanding what happened, I am not sure he totally knows," she said.

Menusa shipped out of Camp Pendleton on Feb. 5, and his wife last received a letter from him on March 22, when he was in Kuwait.

She said she never thought until recently that he would be in danger.

"It didn't really even hit me he was over there and it was hostile until the bombing of Baghdad started, then I got scared: 'OK, this is real now,'" she said. "I never thought it would be my Marine."

She said that before he left for Iraq, her husband had told her not to worry, that he would come home.

"He died with honor and he loved the Corps, he loved his family and if he had to do it over again, he wouldn't change a thing," she said. "He'll be sorely missed. The Corps lost a good man."


Bee local news and story editor Dave Jones and staff writer Susan Herendeen contributed to this report, along with Beth Fouhy and Andrew Bridges of The Associated Press.

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Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa

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Fallen British heroes:

Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull

Marine Christopher R Maddison, 9 Assault Squadron Royal Marines

Lance Corporal Shaun Andrew Brierley, 212 Signal Squadron, 1(UK) Armoured Division HQ & Signal Regiment

[patriciaruth]

But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
John 15: 26-27

These things I have spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
But these things I have told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto at the beginning, because I was with you.
But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Wither goest thou?
But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; that it is expedient for you that I go away: For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16: 1-7

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Capt. Aaron J. Contreras, 31, of Sherwood, OR

Cpl. Robert M. Rodriguez, 21, of Queens, NY

Lance Cpl. Patrick R. Nixon, 21, of Nashville, TN

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Staff Sgt. Donald May Jr.


http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20030331_2062.html

Marine Family Loses Son in Iraq War
Marine Killed in Iraq Had Followed Both Parents Into the Corps, Leaves Pregnant Wife

The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. March 31 —
Staff Sgt. Donald May Jr. followed both parents into the Marine Corps and, just like his dad, became a tank commander. He disappeared in Iraq nearly a week ago and his mother learned Monday he had been killed.

"When they came Friday night and told me he was missing, I knew then, I knew then he was gone," Brenda Reese May said from her Richmond home.

She added: "I don't think there are any words to describe the loss of a child. No matter how old they are, no parent should ever have to bury their only child."

May, 31, and two other Marines died when their tank plunged off a bridge into the Euphrates River. The Pentagon identified the other victims as Lance Cpl. Patrick T. O'Day, 20, of Santa Rosa, Calif., and Pfc. Francisco A. Martinez Flores, 21, of Los Angeles.

On Monday, the U.S. Central Command said a total of four Marines died in the incident. The fourth Marine was not immediately identified.

May and his crew were in the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, based at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

O'Day had married his high school sweetheart in October, shortly before heading overseas, and Shauna O'Day is expecting the couple's first child in September, said his father, Tim O'Day.

"They were a young couple with a lot of dreams and hopes," Tim O'Day said. "All those have been taken away."

Martinez Flores was to have become a U.S. citizen in two weeks.

"It is an immense pain in the family," said Martha Martinez Flores in Duarte, Calif. "I just want them to stop it for all of the suffering mothers."

Brenda Reese May, who spent two years in the Marines as a secretary, said she met her husband, Donald C. May Sr., when both were stationed at Quantico Marine Corps Base in northern Virginia.

The elder May served two tours in Vietnam, earning two purple hearts, a bronze star and a Navy cross. He died in a fishing accident in 1991.

Brenda Reese May said her son was interested in the military from an early age, joining the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets from age 12 to 18. He also was a police Explorer.

He joined the Marine Corps the year he graduated from high school and spent four years in the military police, serving in the Middle East for the last few months of the first Gulf War in 1991. He left for two years, serving in the Reserves, then "got back in as a tank commander, just like his dad," his mother said.

"He was a clean-cut American boy," his mother said. "When he decided to go into the military, I was proud. Always scared, but proud. I know the drill, but it's still hard."

She added: "He was my only son and, as proud as I am to be a Marine, to be married to a Marine, and for my son to become a Marine, he was still my only son, he was all I had."

May's wife, Deborah, is 7 1/2 months pregnant with a boy, due May 16. She went into premature labor Friday after learning that her husband was missing, but doctors were able to halt the delivery.

"She's totally devastated," Brenda Reese May said. She said her son has a stepdaughter, Mariah, who will be 7 on Wednesday, and a son Jack, who will be 2 on April 18.


Associated Press writer Steve Szkotak contributed to this story.

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Staff Sgt. Donald May Jr.