Legislature Honors “Ultimate Sacrifice” of Coloradans

The Colorado House and Senate have unanimously passed a resolution honoring the sacrifice of service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“With this resolution, we pay tribute to the brave men and women of Colorado who have served, and who are now serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said House sponsor Rep. Stella Garza Hicks, R-Colorado Springs. “They have fought bravely and have served us all with tremendous dignity and honor. We owe them all a great debt for their service, and we will always hold a special place of honor for the soldiers and families who have made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country.”

In the last year, 28 soldiers based at Fort Carson have died in Iraq:

Private 1st Class Michael C. Balsley of Hayward, California, U.S. Army, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Specialist Brock L. Bucklin of Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Travis W. Buford of Galveston, Texas,U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division,

Sergeant Robert M. Carr of Warren, Ohio, U.S. Army, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division,;

Specialist Grant A. Dampier of Merrill, Wisconsin, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

Specialist Elias G. Elias of Azusa, California U.S. Army, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Staff Sergeant Marion Flint, Jr. of Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Nathan J. Frigo of Kokomo, Indiana, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division;

Sergeant Alexander H. Fuller of Centerville, Massachusetts, U.S. Army, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division,

Staff Sergeant Ryan E. Haupt of Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade, Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Allen B. Jaynes of Chandler, Texas, U.S. Army, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Lieutenant Colonel Eric J. Kruger of Garland, Texas, U.S. Army, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Nicholas A. Madaras of Wilton, Connecticut, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Clinton T. McCormick of Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. Army, 2nd Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Sergeant Jae S. Moon of Levittown, Pennsylvania,U.S. Army, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Sergeant James P. Muldoon of Bells, Texas,U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 68th Combined Arms Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Albert M. Nelson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Sergeant Joe Polo of Opa-locka, Florida,U.S. Army, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Sergeant Yevgeniy Ryndych of Brooklyn, New York,U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Staff Sergeant Alberto V. Sanchez of Houston, Texas, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade, Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division;

Corporal Luis D. Santos of Rialto, California, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Collin R. Schockmel of Richwood, Texas, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Roger A. Suarez-Gonzalez of Miami, Florida, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division,

Sergeant John M. Sullivan of Hixson, Tennessee, U.S. Army, 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Ming Sun of Cathedral City, California, U.S. Army 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Sergeant Norman R. Taylor III of Blythe, California, U.S. Army 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division;

Private 1st Class Rowan D. Walter of Winnetka, California, U.S. Army 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division;

Sergeant James R. Worster of Broadview Heights, Ohio, U.S. Army, 10th Combat Support Hospital, 43rd Area Support Group.

And in the last year, fourteen men and women who called Colorado home died in Operation Iraqi Freedom:

Sergeant Clinton W. Ahlquist of Creede, Colorado, U.S. Marines, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California;

Colonel Brian D. Allgood of Altus, Oklahoma, who was once a resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and whose family lives in Colorado Springs, U.S. Army,  30th Medical Brigade, Europe Regional Medical Command, Heidelberg, Germany; 

Hospitalman Christopher A. Anderson of Longmont, Colorado, U.S. Navy,1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina;

Staff Sergeant Shane R. Becker of Helena, Montana, who was once a resident of Greeley, Colorado, and whose family lives in Greeley, U.S. Army, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska;

Staff Sergeant Dustin M. Gould of Longmont, Colorado, U.S. Marines, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California;

Staff Sergeant Joshua R. Hager of Broomfield, Colorado, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado;

Specialist Blake Harris of Pueblo, Colorado, U.S. Army, 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas;

Specialist Stephen M. Kowalczyk of San Diego, California, who was once a resident of Boulder, Colorado, and whose family lives in Boulder, U.S. Army, 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas;

Lance Corporal Nicklas J. Palmer of Leadville, Colorado, U.S. Marines, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California;

Sergeant Andrew C. Perkins of Northglenn, Colorado, U.S. Army, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina;

Corporal Kyle W. Powell of Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. Marines, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California;

Staff Sergeant David R. Staats of Pueblo, Colorado, U.S. Army, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas;

Private 1st Class Seth M. Stanton of Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. Army, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas;

2nd Lieutenant John S. Vaughan of Edwards, Colorado, U.S. Army, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska;

And Six Coloradans died in Afghanistan:

Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz of Littleton, Colorado, U.S. Navy, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two, Virginia Beach, Virginia;

Staff Sergeant James P. Dorrity of Aurora, Colorado, U.S. Army, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Fort Campbell, Kentucky;

Staff Sergeant Christopher M. Falkel of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina;

Sergeant 1st Class Daniel A. Romero of Lafayette, Colorado, U.S. Army, 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, Pueblo, Colorado;

Corporal Christopher F. Sitton of Montrose, Colorado, U.S. Army, 710th Combat Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York;

Sergeant Adam A. Wilkinson of Fort Carson, Colorado, U.S. Army, 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

In addition to those who have died in the last year and were included in the Legislature’s resolution, the following Coloradans were listed as casualties by the web site Iraq Coalition Casualty Count: