Four Paratroopers from 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, were killed by a suicide bomber on a scooter in Iraq on Sunday.
The troopers were identified as:
- Sergeant Jason Swiger of South Portland, Maine, 24 years old
- Corporal Jason Nunez of Naranjito, Puerto Rico, 22 years old
- PFC Orlando Gonzalez, of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, 21 years old
- PFC Anthony White of Columbia, South Carolina, 21 years old
The four troopers were actually passing out candy to Iraqi children when a rider on a passing scooter detonated some type of explosive, killing himself in the process.
Regarding Sgt. Jason Swiger, from the Fayetteville Observer:
Army Sgt. Jason Swiger of South Portland was one of four soldiers who left the protection of their Humvee to hand out candy to a group of Iraqi children when a suicide bomber on a scooter detonated an explosive, said Swiger’s sister, Angelica Cole.
“He was just trying to make the world a better place. I have two small children and he would talk about how he wanted it to be safer for them,” Cole said. “In that situation, getting out of the Humvee to pass out candy, you could see him doing that.”
The account of the death Sunday morning local time was relayed to the family by military officials, Cole said. The account could not be independently confirmed. The military declined Monday to confirm Swiger’s death.
Swiger, 24, was a 2000 graduate of South Portland High School who found his calling when he joined the Army, said Principal Jeanne Crocker. He often returned to school in full military uniform to address a military history class.
“He walked tall and with great pride,” Crocker said. “He was the epitome of a soldier, a person very proud to serve his country.”
Swiger had wanted to join the Army ever since he was a boy and watched paratroopers training while visiting his uncle, a former member of the 82nd Airborne, Cole said.
Swiger was on his third tour of duty in Iraq. “He was proud of what he was doing. He felt what he was doing had a purpose,” his sister said.
Swiger’s mother, Valorie Swiger, was involved in a dispute in 2003 over where she could tie yellow ribbons to demonstrate her support for U.S. troops.
The dispute prompted city officials to rescind permission they had given her to hang the ribbons from city buildings and telephone poles.
A wonderful young trooper from yet another patriotic family. A must watch: Family, Community Honor Fallen Soldier And from BLACKFIVE:
A couple days ago a paratrooper linked to A Co. 2d brigade was lost in Iraq. He was from South Portland, Me. My son is a recruiter in the Portland area after doing 3 tours in Iraq with A Co. 2/235 82nd. The trooper's mother is someone we all should know, ckeck out the above link. This "grieving mother" came and thanked recruiter who had signed up her son and thanked the recuiters (especially those with jump wings) for all they had done to keep this country safe!!!!! My son could not believe what he was hearing!!!!! The 82nd is sending a burial detachment up for the funeral, 300 patriot guards are coming because about a week ago some of the nuts from Kansas showed up in Maine at the funeral of a fallen Marine. My son spent the rest of the day helping the mother ( and the rest of the recuiting office) put up yellow ribbons all over the city of South Portland, Me. As you will see from the videos this is a mother to counter Cindy Scheehan (sp). This is someone who deserves your "Someone You Should Know" treatment.
No Cindy Sheehan there, thank goodness.
"On a daily basis Private First Class Gonzalez displayed courage, honor and selfless service, in the struggle to keep America safe and improve the nation of Iraq," Capt. John Carson, Rear Detachment Commander of the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, stated in a press release today. "This hero will be sorely missed and will forever live in our memories."
Gonzalez is survived by his father, Orlando G. Gonzalez Jr., of Bridgeport, Conn., and his mother, Carmen M. Diaz. His unit in Iraq will hold a memorial service for him. Family funeral arrangements have not been completed, according to the 82nd Airborne Division.
Harry White, Anthony's father, says, "Just have a big hole in my stomach - I'm maddened that 3,000 other families are going through what I'm going through now. They know how I feel."
"I'm going to miss him. Anthony if you can hear me, I'm going to miss you."
White attended Richland Northeast High School and played basketball there.
After high-school, White joined the military, following in his father's footsteps. His father is a 30-year-veteran - who spent much of his career at Fort Bragg with the 82nd.
Anthony White also planned on going to master jump school, just like his dad. But White died two months short of his expected return from Iraq.
Cpl. Jason Nunez, 22, who was born in Fountain Hill, near Bethlehem, but lived in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, joined the Army in March 2005 and moved to the 82nd Airborne in October of that year as a nuclear, biological, and chemical specialist.
[...]
Nunez said his son was wounded by a roadside bomb about two months ago and lost part of his hearing. He was
hospitalized in Iraq for about a week, then sent back to his unit.
Family members said they question why Nunez, who was to be discharged from the Army in August, wasn't previously discharged for medical reasons.
"That's what the family is saying: He never should have been sent back," said his cousin, Santos A. Rosado of Bethlehem.
Sam Nunez said he last spoke with his son, who lived in Puerto Rico most of his life, on Saturday.
"He sounded very happy on the phone," he said. "I asked him, 'Are you afraid?' He said, 'A little bit, but not too bad."'
Nunez is survived by a wife and a six-month-old daughter.
Welcome home, brothers. God Bless you all.
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