Hero Stories for DOD Releases

Birth: October 19, 1967 – Pecos, Texas Died: March 23, 2003 – near Nasiriyah, Iraq CWO2 Mata was assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas. He was one of eight soldiers found dead during the rescue of Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who was being held as a prisoner of war. Johnny grew up in the small [.

Born: October 18, 1983 in Topeka, Kansas Died: October 18, 2005 in Mosul, Iraq Cpl Lucas A Frantz of Tonganoxie, Kansas was a 2002 graduate of Tonganoxie High School where he was an outstanding football player as an offensive lineman and linebacker. He was a 2001 all-conference player. His former team retired his football number during [.

Born: September 9, 1986 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky Died: April 8, 2010 in Landstuhl, Germany Pfc. Jonathon D. Hall, Chattanooga, Tennessee attended Northwest High School briefly while living in Anchorage, Alaska where he grew up. He joined the Army in October 2008 where he was serving as a combat medic. His awards and decorations include, The [.

The mine resistant ambush protected all terrain vehicle, or M-ATV, is on its way to Afghanistan to replace the up-armored Humvee. "It will not be too long before we will be able to get everybody who can be out of the up-armored Humvee into the MRAP ATV," said Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. General Peter W. Chiarel

Born: January 25, 1982 in Florida Died: January 5, 2006 in Iraq Sgt Adam L. Cann of Davie, Florida was a 2000 graduate of South Plantation High School and as an adult, the minute he walked through door was always like a high school reunion. People just came out of the woodwork. He was quick with [.

Birth: June 12, 1987 – Oregon Died: November 28, 2009 – Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates PO3 Mudge was killed when he was electrocuted while working in a machinery space aboard the guided missile frigate Rentz while on a port call in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. David was the fifth of seven children and spent [.

Birth: February 14, 1984 – New York City, New York Died: August 23, 2003 – Ar Ramadi, Iraq Pfc Mack was assigned to 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado as a computer analyst. Mack jumped into the Euphrates River near the Hadithah Dam to take a swim and did not resurface. A search [.

Born: July 28, 1985 Died: April 9, 2005 in Landstuhl, Germany Spc. Casey M. LaWare of Redding, California continued a long line of military service in his family and had slept with his grandfather’s World War II wool blanket. Casey had the values of a young man from decades past as though he was born 60 [.

Senior Master Sgt. James B. Lackey, 45, of Green Clove Springs, Florida, died April 9, 2010, near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in a crash of a CV-22 Osprey. Senior Master Sgt. Lackey was assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida. </d

Died: March 30, 2010 in Washington, D.C. Spc. Kansas J. Counts Johnson City, Tennessee was a native of Johnson City and a graduate of Unicoi County High School and was a son of Roger and Brenda Robertson Counts. Kansas was active in the United States Army and had served tours of duty in both Kuwait [.