102 Michigan Soldiers Killed in Iraq


With the flags in downtown Lansing, Michigan at half mast and one flown upside down by a Purple Heart veteran as the backdrop on Friday, a rememberance vigil was held to mourn the loss of 102 Michigan solders in the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The vigil was organized by the Greater Lansing Network Against War and Injustice as a demonstration of solidarity with and support for the families of those killed and wounded, those currently serving, and those preparing to deploy.

Veterans in attendance at this somber event included 70 year old retired maverick Major Mike Doyle, a 23 year Army veteran with service in Vietnam, twice wounded Army Vietnam veteran Spike Tyson, and Navy Desert Storm veteran Will Dwyer, as well as a large number of peacetime veterans and peace and justice activists.

A brief statement was read by Dwyer, contrasting the current conflict in Iraq with the one he participated in 15 years ago, and asking the question, "How many more have to die for a lie?" Vigil participants then took turns reading portions of the list of Michigan citizens sacrificed in the quagmire of Iraq by rank, name and home town. A pair of combat boots was placed in the center of the bronze plaque bearing the state seal imbedded in the sidewalk in front of the state capitol. They were surrounded by photographs of Iraqis, with a pair of civilian shoes to go with each picture. Next to the combat boots was a bouquet of flowers, a laminated poster sized list of 100 names, and a small yellow card bearing the names of the two most recent Michigan citizens sacrificed.

After the vigil downtown, a smaller group gathered outside the district office of 8th district Congressman Mike Rogers. An activist whose cousin was recently wounded in an IED attack went into the office by herself and came out a few minutes later in tears, saying that she had been subjected to verbal abuse by a member of the Congressman's staff. While still outside the office, Dwyer again read his statement, and the names of Michigan's war dead were once again read. The group then walked single file into the office, singing "Give Peace a Chance." They left the poster sized list of names and the flowers on a table in the reception room and walked out, still singing.

Below is the current list of Michigan's war dead, listed alphabetically by home town:

1st Sergeant Bradley C. Fox of Adrian
Sergeant 1st Class David A. Hartman of Akron
Staff Sergeant Curtis T. Howard III of Ann Arbor
Lance Corporal Minhee Kim of Ann Arbor
Staff Sergeant Thomas W. Christensen of Atlantic Mine
Staff Sergeant Michael A. Dickinson II of Battle Creek
Staff Sergeant Eugene Alex of Bay City
Specialist Brock L. Bucklin of Caledonia
Staff Sergeant Paul J. Johnson of Calumet
Specialist Trevor A. Blumberg of Canton
Specialist Timothy D. Brown of Cedar Springs
Staff Sergeant Brian Lee Morris of Centreville
Lance Corporal Clifford R. Collinsworth of Chelsea
Lance Corporal Jason T. Little of Climax
Lance Corporal Allan Klein of Clinton Township
Staff Sergeant Scott Douglas Sather of Clio
Specialist Donald L. Wheeler of Concord
Captain Justin D. Peterson of Davisburg
Lieutenant Commander Edward E. Jack of Detroit
Staff Sergeant Lewis J. Gentry of Detroit
Sergeant Sean C. Reynolds of East Lansing
Specialist Adrian J. Butler of East Lansing
Lance Corporal Troy D. Nealy of Eaton Rapids
Sergeant Michael Francis Pedersen of Flint
Specialist Artimus D. Brassfield of Flint
Captain Lowell T. Miller II of Flint
Sergeant Joshua V. Youmans of Flushing
Lance Corporal Andrew J. Kilpela of Fowlerville
Specialist Dane O. Carver of Freeport
Specialist Richard R. Trevithick of Gaines
Sergeant Brad A. Wentz of Gladwin
Major Gregory J. Fester of Grand Rapids
Sergeant Al'Kaila Floyd of Grand Rapids
Lance Corporal Michael Wayne Hanks of Gregory
Staff Sergeant Stephen C. Hattimer of Gwinn
Private 1st Class John Wilson Dearing of Hazel Park
Lance Corporal Justin D. Reppuhn of Hemlock
Specialist Dennis K. Samson Jr. of Hesperia
1st Sergeant Aaron Jagger of Hillsdale
Sergeant 1st Class Richard J. Herrema of Hudsonville
Sergeant Matthew A. Webber of Kalamazoo
Private 1st Class Dennis J. Miller Jr. of La Salle
Captain Paul J. Cassidy of Laingsburg
Corporal Nyle Yates III of Lake Odessa
Staff Sergeant Raymond J. Plouhar of Lake Orion
Captain Stephen W. Frank of Lansing
1st Lieutenant Justin S. Smith of Lansing
Chief Petty Officer Paul J. Darga of Lansing
Lance Corporal Nicholas J. Manoukian of Lathrup Village
Specialist Craig S. Frank of Lincoln Park
Sergeant Aaron C. Elandt of Lowell
Private 1st Class Jason G. Wright of Luzerne
Sergeant Ralph N. Porras of Merrill
Specialist Richard Allen Goward of Midland
Master Sergeant Anthony R. C. Yost of Millington
Private 1st Class Nicholas J. Greer of Monroe
Staff Sergeant Jason A. Lehto of Mount Clemens
Lance Corporal Justin M. Ellsworth of Mount Pleasant
Staff Sergeant Brett J. Petriken of Mundy Township
Specialist Anthony O. Cardinal of Muskegon
Sergeant Michael Paul Hodshire of North Adams
Sergeant Duane J. Dreasky of Novi
Corporal Nicholas O. Cherava of Ontonagon
Master Sergeant William L. Payne of Otsego
Staff Sergeant Ricky A. Kieffer of Ovid
Sergeant Gabriel G. DeRoo of Paw Paw
Sergeant Todd James Robbins of Pentwater
Corporal Michael B. Lindemuth of Petoskey
Staff Sergeant Mark D. Vasquez of Port Huron
Lance Corporal David A. Huhn of Portland
Specialist Joseph P. Micks of Rapid River
Specialist Walter B. Howard II of Rochester
1st Lieutenant Adam Malson of Rochester Hills
Staff Sergeant Donald N. Davis of Saginaw
Private 1st Class Richard H. Rosas of Saint Louis
Specialist Joshua T. Brazee of Sand Creek
Private 1st Class Mark A. Barbret of Shelby Township
Private 1st Class Allan A. Morr of Shiawassee County
Staff Sergeant Vincent E. Summers of South Haven
Captain Sean Grimes of Southfield
Specialist Randy Lee Stevens of Swartz Creek
Private 1st Class Jason Michael Meyer of Swartz Creek
Lance Corporal Brandon J. Webb of Swartz Creek
Private 1st Class Holly J. McGeogh of Taylor
Private 1st Class Juan Guadaloupe Garza Jr. of Temperance
Sergeant Spencer C. Akers of Traverse City
Sergeant Charles A. Drier of Tuscola County
Lance Corporal Craig N. Watson of Union City
Captain Ralph J. Harting III of Union Lake
Major Kevin Gerard Nave of Union Lake
Corporal In C. Kim of Warren
Corporal Gentian Marku of Warren
Private 1st Class Damian S. Bushart of Waterford
Specialist Andrew K. Waits of Waterford
Specialist Brian K. Derks of White Cloud
Corporal Alexander J. Kolasa of White Lake
Private 1st Class Nicholas H. Blodgett of Wyoming
Specialist Eric T. Burri of Wyoming
Corporal Ross A. Smith of Wyoming
Specialist Donald R. McCune of Ypsilanti
Major Gerald M. Bloomfield II of Ypsilanti
Corporal Gary A. Koehler of Ypsilanti

Posted at Sunday, November 05, 2006
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