The year in review

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Pa. military honor roll of '07

By staff and wire reports

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

The men and women of the U.S. military who died in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007:

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IRAQ

• Army Reserve Sgt. Thomas E. Vandling Jr., 26, of Bellevue, in Baghdad. A graduate of Northgate High School, Vandling was majoring in psychology and philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh. His lifelong dream was to write books. He joined the Army Reserve in August 2001 and served a tour of duty with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Afghanistan in 2003. He deployed to Iraq in spring 2006. Survivors include his parents, Thomas and Dianne, and his siblings, James, Michael and Elizabeth. (Jan. 1.)

• Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith A. Callahan, 31, of McClure, in Arab Jabour, south of Baghdad. He graduated in 1993 from a high school in Woburn, Mass. Callahan joined the Army in 1996 and was on his fourth deployment to Iraq. Survivors include his wife, Doty, three sons, Devin, Brady and Tyler, and a daughter, Brooke. (Jan. 24)

• Army Capt. Mark T. Resh, 28, of Fogelsville, in Najaf. He was a 1996 graduate of Northwestern Lehigh High School. Resh graduated summa cum laude in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. A helicopter pilot, Resh joined the Army in 2001 and deployed to Iraq in September 2006. He was killed in a crash while providing air support to Iraqi soldiers and police battling a messianic Shiite cult. He is survived by his parents, Carol and Charles, and his brother, Matthew. (Jan. 28)

• Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Van Parys, 20, of New Tripoli, in Walid. When he joined the Marines after graduating from Northwestern Lehigh High School in 2005, Van Parys told his family he was enlisting because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He had taken courses in law enforcement at the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, and he had served as a volunteer firefighter. Survivors include his father, Alan, his mother, Catherine Hearn, and two brothers, Christopher and Daniel. (Feb. 5)

• Army Sgt. Russell A. Kurtz, 22, of Bethel Park, in Balad. A 2003 graduate of Bethel Park High School, Kurtz enlisted before graduation and entered the Army in October 2003. He played football through high school as a running back and several defensive positions. He also worked in the family's Bethel Park grocery store. Survivors include his parents, Roger and Jill, his sister, Stephanie, and his grandparents, Michael and Helen Kurtz and Bill and Joyce Alderson. (Feb. 11)

• Marine Capt. Todd M. Siebert, 34, of Franklin Park, in Ar Ramadi. A 1990 graduate of North Allegheny High School, he enlisted in 1992 and was promoted to sergeant in 1994. He graduated from Penn State University in 1999 with a degree in criminal justice. He considered becoming a state police trooper but instead accepted a commission as an infantry officer. He served in Afghanistan in 2001, shortly after 9/11. Survivors include his wife, Darcy, two children, Alicia and Nicholas, parents Thomas and Dorothy, brother, Tom, and two sisters, Diana Climo and Denise Ridenour. (Feb. 16)

• Army Spc. Matthew C. Bowe, 19, of Moon, in Baghdad. A 2005 graduate of Moon Area High School, Bowe served in the Army's medical corps in the hope of eventually become a doctor. He suffered fatal wounds while shielding a wounded soldier from the blast of a roadside bomb. He was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star for his heroics. Survivors include his parents, John and Lori. (Feb. 19)

• Army Spc. Luis O. Rodriguez-Contrera, 22, of Allentown, in Baghdad. An Easton Area High School graduate, Rodriguez-Contrera took computer repair classes and worked as a telemarketer before joining the Army in 2005 to give his family a better life. Survivors include his wife, Monica Rodriguez, and three sons. (March 2)

• Army Pvt. Wesley J. Williams, 23, of Philadelphia, in Baghdad. He was assigned to a military intelligence brigade handling prisoners in Iraq. The Defense Department gave no information on his death beyond saying it was the result of non-combat related injuries. No survivor information was available. (March 2)

• Army Sgt. Ashly L. Moyer, 21, of Emmaus, in Baghdad. A 2003 graduate of Emmaus High School, Moyer enlisted before graduating. She trained as a military police officer and guarded detainees at Guantanamo Bay in 2004. She deployed to Iraq in 2006, where she drove military trucks. Survivors include her mother Jane Drumheller, her father, Michael, two sisters, Karissa Thomas and Teagan Moyer, and two brothers, Kyle and Tyler. (March 3)

• Marine Reserve Lance Cpl. Dennis J. Veater, 20, of Jessup, in Balad. A 2004 graduate of Abington Heights High School, Veater died a few days before he was scheduled to return home and help plan his wedding. Survivors include his parents, Donna and retired Marine Sgt. Major Donald G. Veater, and a son, Dominick. (March 9)

• Army Pfc. Orlando E. Gonzalez, 21, of New Freedom, in Baqubah. A 2005 graduate of Susquehannock High School, he joined the Army in June 2005. He was killed by a roadside bomb. Survivors include his father, Orlando G. Gonzalez Jr., and his mother Carmen M. Diaz. (March 25)

• Army Sgt. Curtis J. Forshey, 22, of Hollidaysburg, in Homburg, Germany, after being airlifted out of Kuwait for a non-combat related illness. He had planned to make a career out of the Army and was on his second tour of Iraq when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He died from a brain aneurysm. He is survived by his wife, Laura, and their son, Benjamin. (March 27)

• Army National Guard Master Sgt. Sean M. Thomas, 33, of Harrisburg, in Baghdad. A 1992 graduate of Hughesville High School, Thomas attended Penn State University. He joined the Army Reserves as a senior in high school. In 1998, he switched from the reserves to the National Guard. He also did an eight-month tour in Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, Carrie, and daughter, Alexa Gwen. (March 27)

• Army Sgt. Jason A. Shaffer, 28, of Derry, in Baqubah. A 1998 graduate of Derry Area High School, he was on his second tour in Iraq. He was a 2000 graduate of the Westmoreland County Community College's police academy and was working toward a degree in criminal justice. He enlisted in the Army in 2003. Survivors include his wife, Kathleen, and parents Roger and Gwendolyn. (April 5)

• Army Spc. Aaron M. Genevie, 22, of Chambersburg, in Baghdad. A 2003 graduate of McConnellsburg High School, Genevie was a sports enthusiast who preferred basketball. He was killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb. Survivors include his mother, Patricia. (April 16)

• Army Staff Sgt. Steven R. Tudor, 36, of Dunmore, in Baghdad. A 1989 Dunmore High School graduate, Tudor was on his third tour in Iraq. He also served in Operation Desert Storm. Survivors include his wife, Wanda, two children, his mother, Mary Ann Jones, and two brothers, Juan and Mario. (April 21)

• Army National Guard Spc. Jeremy E. Maresh, 24, of Jim Thorpe, in Baghdad. A 2001 graduate from Jim Thorpe Area High School, Maresh is survived by an infant son, Shane, and his parents, Frank Maresh of Jim Thorpe and Linda Maresh of Eugaula, Okla. (April 24)

• Marine 1st Lt. Travis L. Manion, 26, of Doylestown, in Fallujah. A 1999 graduate of La Salle College High School, Manion was on the varsity lacrosse, football and wrestling teams. He graduated in 2004 from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. Survivors includes his parents, Jannette and Marine Reserve Col. Thomas Manion. (April 29)

• Army 1st Lt. Colby J. Umbrell, 26, of Doylestown, in Musayyib. A 1999 graduate of Central Bucks High School East, Umbrell was on the varsity football team. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2004 with a political science degree. Survivors include his parents, Mark and Nancy, his sister, Casey, and two brothers, Adam and Bruce. (May 3)

• Army Sgt. A. James Dunckley, 25, of Yardley, in Salman Pak. He had completed a tour of duty in the Marines and was planning to become a minister before 9/11. He joined the Army shortly after the attacks, but still planned to become a youth minister and martial arts instructor once he got out. Survivors include his wife, Jennifer, and two children, Joshua and Hannah. (May 14)

• Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski Jr., 20, of Ivyland, in Baghdad. A 2005 graduate of Council Rock High School-North, Dembowski also graduated from the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology. Survivors include his parents Fran and Robert Sr. and his sister, Janice. (May 24)

• Army Pfc. Larry Parks Jr., 24, of Altoona, in Arab Jabour. Parks hung around the Newburg Fire Hall as a kid and became a volunteer as soon as he turned 16. He was known for helping new volunteers and had a taste for adventure that earned him the nickname "Tasmanian Devil." He enjoyed working on cars, especially Chevrolets. Survivors include his parents Cheryl and Larry Sr., and his brother, Adam. (June 18)

• Army Sgt. 1st Class Raymond R. Buchan, 33, of Johnstown, in Ta'meem. A 1991 graduate of Westmont Hilltop High School, Buchan joined the Army the same year. Survivors include his wife, Laura, their two sons, Hayden and Andrew, his parents, Richard and Carol Jean, and brother, Philip. (July 1)

• Army Spc. Zachary R. Clouser, 19, of Dover, in Adhamiyah. He joined the Army in 2005 shortly after he graduated from Dover Area High School. He loved hunting and fishing and planned to take classes in computer or criminology after he got out. Survivors include his mother, Deb Etheridge, and six siblings. (July 18)

• Army Spc. Camy Florexil, 20, of Philadelphia, in Balad. Born in the United States, Florexil spent his first few years in Haiti because his mother was deported. When she learned she couldn't return to the United States, she sent her son to live with an aunt in Philadelphia so he could have a better life. Florexil joined the Army when he was 18. Survivors includes his mother, Carol Florexil. (July 24)

• Army Spc. Michael A. Hook, 25, of Altoona, in Multaka. Hook did odd jobs and then worked for a roofing contractor after graduating from high school in 2001. He joined the Army about two years ago. He was scheduled to return from Iraq in September and get married in October. Survivors include his father Larry Hook of Little Egg Harbor, N.J., and his mother MaryAnn Hook of Altoona. (Aug. 22)

• Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully, 33, of Falls Creek, in Baghdad. A South Park native, the Green Beret combat medic was born in St. Clair Hospital. He lived in South Park, Upper St. Clair and Bridgeville before his family settled in Falls Creek, Jefferson County. He was a National Honor Society student at Brockway High School. He joined the Marine Corps immediately after graduation and trained as a scuba diver. After four years, he switched to the Army and trained as a paratrooper. He became a Ranger and then a Green Beret. Survivors include his son, Slade, his father, John, and his mother, Dolores Newman. (Aug. 23)

• Army Cpt. Erick M. Foster, 29, of Franklin Park, in Balad. He graduated from North Allegheny High School in 1996. Foster joined the Army in 2000 after earning a business degree from Duquesne University. He was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. He dreamed of serving in the military as a child and saw military service as a higher calling. Survivors include his parents, Barbara and Robert, and sisters Abby Foster and Elizabeth Werkheiser. (Aug. 29)

• Army Sgt. 1st Class David A. Cooper Jr., 36, of State College, in Baghdad. He graduated from Sugar Valley High School. Cooper began his first stint in the Army in 1988. He re-enlisted in 1994. Survivors include his wife, Michelle, twin sons from his first marriage, Gage and Drake, his father, David Sr., and brother, Mike. (Sept. 5)

• Army Cpl. Adam J. Chitjian, 39, of Philadelphia, in Balad. He was a graduate of George Washington High School in Northeast Philadelphia. Chitjian, a combat engineer, was on his second tour of Iraq. A graduate of George Washington High School, he had been a commercial painter and had talked with a relative about possibly joining a private security firm. Survivors include his wife, Shirley, his father, Martin, a brother, Martin, and a sister, Kara Spatola. (Oct. 25)

• Air Force Staff Sgt. David A. Wieger, 28, of North Huntingdon, in Balad. Wieger graduated from Norwin High School in 1997 and earned a degree in criminal justice at Westmoreland County Community College. He planned to become a police officer. He joined the Air Force about eight years ago. Survivors include his parents Michael C. and Lori Wieger, and a brother, Michael. (Nov. 1)

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AFGHANISTAN

• Army Master Sgt. Arthur L. Lilley, 35, of Smithfield, in Shkin. The 17-year Army veteran enlisted after graduating from Albert Gallatin High School in 1990. He wanted to be an air traffic controller for the Air Force, but couldn't because he was colorblind. He was a youth minister at his church. Lilley was a veteran of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He volunteered for Army Special Forces in 1995. Survivors include his wife, Christine, his daughter, Mackenzie, his son, Cole, and his parents, Elizabeth and Arthur. (June 15)

• Army National Guard Sgt. Jan M. Argonish, 26, of Scranton, in Jalalabad. Argonish was a corrections officer at the federal prison in Waymart, Wayne County. He did a tour in Iraq and volunteered to help train soldiers of the Afghan National Army. He graduated from Valley View High School in 1999. Survivors include his son, Jakub, his parents, Nancy and Michael, his brother, Nicholas, and his sister, Elizabeth Conaghan. (Aug. 27)

• Army National Guard Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball, 38, of Carlisle, in Jalalabad. Ball was a former active duty officer who had been a state police trooper for eight years. A 1988 graduate of West Perry High School, he enlisted in the Army in 1992. He graduated in 2000 from the state police academy. He enjoyed motorcycles, auto racing, and flying, and he was a volunteer firefighter. Survivors include his wife, Leslie, a son, Tyler, a daughter, Allie, and mother, Margaret K. Bertrand. (Aug. 27)

• Army Staff Sgt. Patrick F. Kutschbach, 25, of Kennedy, in Bagram. The Green Beret was a 2000 graduate of Montour High School. He was an all-state volleyball player in his senior year, and was hired as an assistant volleyball coach after graduation. After 9/11, he decided to follow through on his original plan to join the military. Survivors include his wife, Ginger, a son, Bastian, mother, Debbie Huffner, father, David, and brothers, Andrew and David. (Nov. 10)

• Army Capt. David A. Boris, 30, of Pottsville, in Bermel. He graduated from Pottsville Area High School in 1994. He was co-captain of the soccer and swim teams. He was a 1999 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He had been deployed to Afghanistan for 15 months. Survivors include his wife, Jamie, his parents, Albin and Diana, and a sister, Jennifer Possinger. (Nov. 12)

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