Hero Stories for September 2010

This Saturday will be the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville. A public ceremony will take place in Eastlake Ohio, on Saturday September 11, 2010 at 11:00 AM to honor those Americans that lost their lives that day and their families that will never forget that morning. As American Airlines Flight # 767 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:45 AM, it appeared to be an accident until e...

Capt. Jason T. McMahon, 35, of Mulvane, Kansas, died September 5, 2010, in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire in Jalalabad. Capt. McMahon was assigned to the 184th Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), 52nd Ordnance Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. </d

Sgt. Jesse M. Balthaser, 23, of Columbus, Ohio, died September 4, 2010, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Sgt. Balthasar was assigned to the 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. </d

Lance Cpl. Ross S. Carver, 21, of Rocky Point, North Carolina, died September 3, 2010, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Carver was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. </d

Lance Cpl. Joshua T. Twigg, 21, of Indiana, Pennsylvania, died September 2, 2010, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Twigg was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. </d

Pfc. Diego M. Montoya, 20, of San Antonio, Texas, died September 2, 2010, in Laghman province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire. Pfc. Montoya was assigned to the 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas. </d

Lance Cpl. Christopher B. Rodgers, 20, of Griffin, Georgia, died September 1, 2010, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Rodgers was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. </d

On Thursday evening Sept. 2  (tomorrow) CNN Headline News “The Nancy Grace Show”  will be doing a tribute to my son Cpl Dustin Derga as part of their nightly Fallen Heroes segment. Dustin was with Lima Co 3/25 Marines from Columbus, OH. He was the first of 23 from the unit killed in action in Anbar Provence Iraq in 2005. The piece is scheduled to air at 8:55PM Eastern and then will repeat at 10:55PM. If you have an opportunity, please tune in. Dustin’s unit just deployed this past week to Afg...