2-69th Armor Regt. Soldiers Remember Fallen Comrade

By Sgt. Natalie Rostek, 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers gathered to honor a fallen comrade of 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment at the chapel on Forward Operating Base Rustimiyah April 9.

Sgt. Dayne Dhanoolal, from Trinidad, was a driver in Company E, the battalion’s engineer company. The company’s responsibilities include route clearance of improvised explosive devices.

“Sgt. Dhanoolal was talented and confident,” said Lt. Col. Troy Perry, from Belfast, Maine, commander of 2-69th Armor Regt. “He loved the Army and he knew the dangers. He was the bravest of the brave.”

Dhanoolal, who was 26 years old, was killed when an explosively-formed penetrator hit his vehicle March 31 in Baghdad.
In his comments, Perry recalled an instance when Dhanoolal received injuries in a combat related incident. Perry spoke to Dhanoolal when he was recovering from his injuries.

“When I saw him, he told me, ‘Sir, I was just doing my job and I’m ready for the next mission,’” Perry remembered.

Dhanoolal enlisted in the Army Sept. 18, 2002. He was later assigned to 2-69th Armor Regt. and deployed with the unit during the battalion’s 2005 and 2007 deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

During the memorial service, Dhanoolal smiled at the crowd in images projected on a screen from the current deployment.

“He brought the best out of all of us with his infectious smile,” Perry said. “We are all better people because we had the honor of serving with him.”
“He always had a joke, a song, or a speech to lighten the mood of everyone around him,” said Capt. Stewart Bailey, from Yelm, Wash., Company E commander.

Bailey said Dhanoolal was a caring leader, exceptional Soldier, a friend to Soldiers and leaders of Company E, and a dedicated husband.
“He always talked about the great plans and the future he had with his wife,” Bailey said.
The fallen hero is survived by his wife, Kynesha.

One of Dhanoolal’s best friends, Sgt. Larry Parker, from Baker City, Ore., talked to the large audience about the character of his comrade-in-arms.
“He was one of the most caring men I have ever met,” Parker said. “He would give and give no matter what he had to sacrifice.”
At the end of his speech, Parker talked, not to the crowd, but to his fallen comrade.

“I will always hold you close to my heart and I’ll never forget you,” Parker told Dhanoolal. “It’s been fun, brother. I love you.”

Dhanoolal’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, a Meritorious Unit Citation and a Combat Action Badge.

The 2-69th Armor Regt. is currently attached to 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. The unit is assigned to 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.

Velvet Hammer - Fallen Soldier

A velvet hammer is sent when there is a loss in the the brigade. Peace be with the family of our fallen Soldier. God bless our troops!

On the 8th of April I was notified by LTC Gale (3rd Infantry Division
Rear-Detachment Commander) that our Brigade had suffered the loss of a
Soldier from HHB/1-10 FA. The Soldier lost his life while conducting
combat operations in Iraq. The next of kin of our fallen Soldier has
been notified. I ask you for your prayers for this Sledgehammer Soldier
and his Family.

Respectfully,

LTC Scott Quagliata
RDC, 3BCT, 3ID

Velvet Hammer - Fallen Soldier

A velvet hammer is sent when there is a loss in the the brigade. Peace be with the family of our fallen Soldier. God bless our troops!

On the 7th of January I was notified by LTC Gale (3rd Infantry Division Rear-Detachment Commander) that our Brigade has suffered the loss of one of our Soldiers from HHC/1-15 IN. The next of kin of our fallen Soldier has been notified. I ask you for your prayers for this Sledgehammer Soldier and his Family.

Respectfully,
LTC Scott Quagliata
RDC, 3BCT, 3ID

Memorial Service at Combat Outpost Cahill

Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment render honors to their fallen comrades, Sgt. Daniel McCall, from Flint, Mich., Spc. Rush Jenkins, from Roanoke, Va., and Pfc. Cody Carver, from Tulsa, Oak., at a memorial service at Combat Outpost Cahill, Nov. 4.

Staff Sgt. Raymond Cotrell, far left, and Sgt. Robert Godbey play their guitars while Staff Sgt. Robert Butler, all with Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, sings a song they wrote in memory of Sgt. Daniel McCall, from Flint, Mich., Spc. Rush Jenkins, from Roanoke, Va., and Pfc. Cody Carver, from Tulsa, Oak., at the memorial service to honor the three fallen soldiers, at Combat Outpost Cahill, Nov. 4.

By Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd HBCT Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers, leaders, and friends of Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment attended a memorial service Nov. 4 for three fallen comrades at Combat Outpost Cahill.

Sgt. Daniel McCall, from Flint, Mich., Spc. Rush Jenkins, from Roanoke, Va., and Pfc. Cody Carver, from Tulsa, Okla., all with Company A, were killed Oct. 30 when an improvised explosive device detonated under the Bradley Fighting Vehicle they were in during a combat patrol outside Salman Pak.

Soldiers from the 1-15th Inf. Regt. listened as close friends and leaders spoke at the podium next to the rifles, Kevlar helmets, dog tags, and boots of McCall, Jenkins and Carver.

Sgt. Jeffrey Houghton described McCall as an outstanding noncommissioned officer who always put his Soldiers above himself.

“He was the strongest person I’ll ever know, but he was a teddy bear inside,” Houghton said. “He was a great friend.”

McCall is survived by his wife, Brittany McCall, and his mother, Petra Bennefield.

Spc. Dustin Tarwater, who was in Jenkins’ squad, described his friend as someone who made everyone around him smile.

“In a place and time where there was so much to complain and be frustrated about, he never did any of those,” Tarwater said. “No matter how big or small the task was, all you would here out of his mouth was ‘Roger that’.”

Jenkins is survived by his father, Rickey Jenkins.

Pvt. Kyle Mace from Company A, a close friend of Carver, spoke to the audience about his fallen comrade.

“Even though Carver was not here for long, he was happy to be a part of a team and a platoon,” Mace said. “It didn’t take him long to fit in.”

Carver is survived by his father, Darrel Lee Carver, and his mother, Pamela Lynn Carver.

The 1-15th Inf. Regt. is attached to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

Sgt. 1st Class Peter Black, Smiths Station, Ala., the acting first sergeant of Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, performs roll call during the memorial service of Sgt. Daniel McCall, Flint, Mich., Spc. Rush Jenkins, Roanoke, Va., and Pfc. Cody Carver, Tulsa, Oak. at Combat Outpost Cahill Oct. 4. The three Company A soldiers were killed Oct. 30 when an improvised explosive device detonated under the Bradley fighting vehicle they were in during a combat patrol outside Salman Pak.

Loved Ones Gather To Mourn Soldier

The casket carrying the body of Cpl. Keith Nurnberg is carried out of St. Joseph's Church in Richmond. Nurnberg, who was killed in Iraq, was a 1999 graduate of McHenry West High School. (Sandy Bressner photo)

by JIM BUTTS
RICHMOND – Jim Maurer told teary-eyed mourners gathered Saturday to grieve the death of Army Cpl. Keith Nurnberg about the courage, humility and honor of his best friend.

Maurer directed many of his words Saturday not to those sitting in the pews, but to a child not yet born.

“Baby Keith, if later in life you ever want to know what kind of man your daddy was, look up the definition of the word ‘hero,’ ” Maurer said.

Keith Nurnberg, 26, formerly of McHenry, was killed in Iraq on Sept. 5 when the Humvee he was riding in was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

In the same church where they gathered to mourn his death Saturday, Nurnberg had married Tonya (Hopkins) Nurnberg of Round Lake in December.

Tonya Nurnberg is expecting to give birth to a boy in November and plans to name the baby after his father.

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During a short and passionate eulogy Saturday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Richmond, Maurer described his best friend as loving and dedicated to his family and friends.

Nurnberg also was filled with courage, not only in risking his life for his country in Iraq, but also through actions at home, such as when he saved the life of an endangered dog.

“Simply put, Keith was the greatest man I will ever know,” Maurer said.

Outside the church, American flags lined the street, and a church bell tolled solemnly every few moments.

After the Mass, the funeral proceeded 6 miles north to Pell Lake, Wis., where Nurnberg was laid to rest at a small, country cemetery.

The procession passed a few groups of supporters gathered at the sides of the road holding signs reading “Thank you for serving our county” and “Rest in peace.”

The cemetery was surrounded with more American flags, many of them held by Patriot Guard Riders, a national organization of motorcycle enthusiasts who attend soldier funerals to protect against disrespectful protests.

At a lectern next to the grave site, Monsignor James McLoughlin offered a final prayer. Earlier during the Mass, McLoughlin had spoken about the “spiritual strength” that Nurnberg had possessed in order to put his life on the line for his country.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Charlie Fletcher Jr. also spoke and posthumously awarded Nurnberg the Bronze Star Medal for his service to the country. The medal and two folded flags that had draped Nurnberg’s coffin then were presented to Keith’s wife, Tonya, and his mother, Barbara Nurnberg.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle had requested that flags be flown at half-staff Saturday in honor of Nurnberg.

Nurnberg had moved with Tonya to Genoa City, Wis., about nine months ago. He previously lived in McHenry and was a 1999 graduate of McHenry West High School.

How to help

Memorials may be made to the Tonya Nurnberg Benefit Account, c/o First Midwest Bank, 3510 W. Elm St., McHenry, IL 60050. The fund will benefit the unborn baby of Keith and Tonya Nurnberg.

Remembering Nurnberg

Sept. 23, 1980: Keith A. Nurnberg is born in Waukegan to Alan and Barbara Nurnberg.

May 1999:Graduates from McHenry West High School, where he ran track.

January 2004: Leaves for boot camp after enlisting in the U.S. Army. He follows in a long family tradition of military service.

Summer 2006: Re-enlists in the Army after serving a tour of duty in Iraq.

Dec. 30, 2006: Marries teacher Tonya Hopkins of Round Lake after a short courtship. The couple had known each other for about 10 years before dating.

Sept. 5, 2007: Nurnberg is killed on his second tour in Iraq after the Humvee he is riding in is struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.

2-69 Armor Remembers Two Fallen Soldiers

Cpl. Matthew McIvor (left), and Vincent Bone, both from Company D, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, salute the memorials of Spc. Keith Nurnberg and Spc. Javier Paredes, both from Company D, during a memorial service Sept. 13, at Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah, Iraq. (Photo by Sgt. Natalie Rostek)

FOB Hammer, Saturday, 15 September 2007 07:43

Soldiers, leaders, and friends of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, attended a memorial service Thursday for two of their fallen comrades at the Forward Operating Base Rustimiyah chapel.

Spc. Keith Nurnberg, of Illinois, and Spc. Javier Paredes, of Texas, both from Company D, were killed Sept. 5 when a rocket-propelled grenade hit their vehicle during a combat patrol.

“While they are no longer standing in our formation, they will always be a part of the Panther (2-69 Armor Regt.) team and the Panther family,” said Lt. Col. Troy Perry, commander, 2-69 Armor Regt.

The chapel was packed with Soldiers during the remembrance. Those who were unable to fit in the chapel could only listen as close friends and leaders spoke at the podium next to the upright rifle, helmet, dog tags, and boots of Nurnberg and Paredes.

Cpl. Vincent Bone, who was Nurnberg’s close friend, spoke to the audience about his relationship with his fallen buddy.

“One thing we had in common was our accents,” Bone said. “When we both became excited, nobody could understand a word we were saying.”

Bone also ensured Nurnberg’s wife, who was not present at the service, that Company D will always be there for her and her family.

“Tanya, Keith lived for you,” he said. “You were his heartbeat here in Iraq.”

Nurnberg is survived by his wife, and parents, Allen and Barbara Nurnberg.

Paredes, a medic, and his brother, Pedro, were raised by his aunt, Maria Acevedo.

“Paredes was an orphan,” said Chaplain (Capt.) Tracy Kerr, 2-69 Armor’s religious leader, “but everyday in this battalion he found himself surrounded by more male influences and father figures than he could ever imagine.”

Cpl. Matthew McIvor, a medic who served with Paredes, remembered his fallen comrade as a hard worker who wanted the best for his unit.

“If you needed to move a mountain, Paredes was the man to get the shovel,” he said. “He had hoped to finish this tour never having to treat one of his own Soldiers.”

Although Paredes and Nurnberg were two very different Soldiers, Capt. Alexis Perez, Co. D commander, said they were both devoted 2-69 Armor Regt. Soldiers.

“They were two Soldiers from two different places,” he said, “but they were both bound by one rule – loyalty to their team.”

The 2-69 Armor Regt. is assigned to 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team from Fort Benning, Ga., and is currently attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

3 HBCT Fallen Soldier Laid To Rest

(William Luther/Express-News)
Marine Pfc. Michael Paredes stands beside his brother's casket after burial services at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Friday. Army Cpl. Javier Paredes, 24, was killed Sept. 5 by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq.

Pallbearers carry Army Cpl. Javier Paredes' casket into St. Patrick's Catholic Church for his funeral service. A fellow soldier later presented his family with awards for him — a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

Soldier laid to rest

Web Posted: 09/15/2007 02:26 AM CDT

Nancy Martinez
Express-News

Abused as a child and raised by foster parents, Army Cpl. Javier Paredes managed to keep his innocence in a short life that ended in sacrifice.

Family and friends joined Mayor Phil Hardberger and City Councilwoman Lourdes Galvan on Friday to pay their last respects to Paredes, 24, who was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade Sept. 5 in Baghdad, Iraq.

Tears punctuated the Mass for Paredes at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, where mourners testified of the young medic's strength and loyalty, and talked of peace in Iraq. While everyone deemed Paredes a hero, many couldn't come to terms with his death.

"Twenty-four years of age is too young to die," the Rev. W. Ebarb said. "What is the answer to those like Javier who lose their lives for their country? Force? That hasn't worked in the past, and that's not going to work in the future."

Ebarb, who said he witnessed the work of medics at a combat hospital in Vietnam, added, "Jesus says, 'Love your enemy.' Those are the words of God. If we would only accept and love, there would be no war, but that won't happen in our lifetime."

A fellow solider who served in Iraq presented the family with awards for Paredes — a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

Hardberger read two proclamations for Paredes, then offered his condolences.

We are the ones that are the beneficiaries of his sacrifice," Hardberger said. "It is certainly true that freedom is not free. Javier's life was not taken. He gave his life. He gave his life for the country and for the people of the United States and the people of San Antonio."

Paredes and his brothers suffered abuse and neglect. In a 1987 Bexar County court document, a state caseworker described the conditions in their home when they were rescued by Child Protective Services. "The home had no water, no heat, no locks, no food, and no plumbing," the report said.

The five boys spent their lives in foster homes across the state. Most of the time, they were separated.

Marine Pfc. Michael Paredes, 19, said that, of all his brothers, he was closest to Javier. But Michael said that after high school their communication withered.

"It hurts me because I never really got to see him after his graduation," he said. "I never really got to know him as a soldier."

During high school, Paredes lived at the Hill Country Youth Ranch in Ingram.

"He was remarkably innocent for all the abuse he had survived. When he found his way into the Army and became a medic, he found something that really fit. He loved to help people," said Gary Priour, executive director of the facility.

"He gave his all to everything and became something in spite of his beginning," Priour said. "Unfortunately, he made the ultimate sacrifice. He had so little in life, but made the best of it."

Paredes seemed to touch people, even those he had limited contact with, including a McDonald's employee who remembered Paredes' sense of humor as he got a breakfast sandwich each morning.

The mother of a Georgia soldier who went through basic and medic training with Paredes said he often spent time at her home. She said Paredes was well-respected and loved, and that his close circle of military friends was devastated.

Victoria Hernandez, a cook at Central Market who attended the service with dozens of fellow employees wearing their uniforms and buttons with Paredes' photo, said they had fond memories of Paredes, and that he never mentioned his history of child abuse.

"He was our little baby," Hernandez said. "Every morning when he got to work he would give everyone a hug. He always had a smile on his face. There wasn't a person he didn't touch."

After a gun salute and taps, service members carefully folded the American flag. The perfectly folded triangle was presented to Maria Acevedo, Paredes' aunt. Her swollen eyes full of tears, she caressed the white stars.

After the service, Paredes was buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery