Remembering Daniel R. Healy, Chief Petty Officer, Navy SEAL ~ NH Hero
Daniel Richard Healy, Senior Chief Petty Officer, Navy SEAL –
Dan was killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005 during Operation Redwings when his rescue helicopter was shot down. He died with several other SEALS and eight Army Nightstalkers in the air and three other SEALS on the ground. The account is told in the book LONE SURVIVOR by Marcus Luttrell.
This is something that his mother, Natalie shared with Sue a few years ago:
“Danny worked very hard to be deployed to the war zone. As a career SEAL he had spent the first three years of the war in Pearl Harbor. He was extremely frustrated at being out of the loop. Once he discovered that the Navy, due to manpower shortages, was taking men out of SDV’s he immediately applied and was in Afghanistan by March 2005. Three months later four men he’d sent out on a mission were in trouble and with no hesitation by anyone; the team went to save them. Nearing the landing zone their helicopter was shot down and this young man whose great joy was his four children, friends, and family died instantly. We miss his humor, kindness, generosity and love of life. I miss the long conversations we would have about politics, children, and history. His family and friends collectively mourn him while we recall ‘Danny’ stories that usually end in laughter. We are exceedingly proud that this man bravely risked his life for his fellow man and sadly accepted that his death was God’s Plan.”
http://www.militarymoviesandnews.com/lone-survivor-interviews/dan-healy-family-interview/
Remembering 2nd Lt Matthew S. Coutu ~ NH Hero
Remembering 2nd Lt Matthew S. Coutu – KIA on June 27, 2005, Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Matthew entered the University of Maine (Orono) where he majored in history. In his senior year, he received the George C. Marshall Award as the top ranked ROTC student at the University and ranked in the 6th percentile nationally as a ROTC cadet. Matt graduated on May 8, 2004 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the US Army.
Following his commissioning and completion of the Military Police Officer Basic Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Matt was assigned to the 89th Military Police Brigade at Ft. Hood, Texas. In February, 2005, the Brigade deployed to the forward operating base Rustemiyah in Iraq. On June 27, 2005, Matt was killed by sniper fire en route to Al Ademyiah Iraqi Police Station in East Baghdad.
The day following his death, Lt. Colonel Robert Taradash, Commander of the 720th MP battalion in Baghdad called Michael Coutu, Matt’s father, saying how hard his death was being felt by his fellow troops adding “Matthew was perhaps my best platoon leader — someone who earned the admiration and respect of his fellow officers and the men who served under him. His loss will be grieved no less than that of a brother, parent, spouse or dear friend. He was an exemplary role model to all in this (Army) family.”
At a memorial service held in Baghdad, Captain Meeks, Matt’s company commander, said “He loved the Army, the Guardians, and his Soldiers. He reminded us every day that he was committed to being the best and that he took care of the Wolfpack. His dogged will to succeed inspired leaders at every level. He maintained the same intensity day in and day out of this deployment, he did not waver one bit. While doing so he paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. For that, I am humbled and honored to have known and served with him.”
Among his awards and medals, Matt posthumously received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. With its inaugural dedication on February 6, 2006, the 2nd Lieutenant Matthew S. Coutu Distinguished Honor Graduate Award is given to the top graduate of each Military Police Officer Basic Course class. In the memorial dedication speech, Colonel Taradash described Matt as a “young man who loved to lead Soldiers; lived by the Warrior Creed and Army Values; loved and lived his life without hesitation and epitomized heroism. From the moment that I met him, I recognized that Matt led his Soldiers from the front and put every ounce of his being into leading his Soldiers.”
Remembering SSGT Edmond Lo ~ NH Hero
Remembering SSGT Edmond Lo – KIA on June 13, 2009 – He was killed when an improvised explosive device he was acting to neutralize detonated in Samarra City, Iraq.
He was assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion, Ft Hood, TX
Edmond grew up in Salem, NH and graduated from Salem High School in 2004. Although he was quiet, he had a wonderful sense of humor and was an extremely kind-hearted and sincere person. His many hobbies included playing on his computer, teaching himself how to play piano and guitar, origami, and puzzles.
He was a member of the Air Force JROTC program and was the operations squadron, color guard commander and a drill team commander. He was on the first drill team from Salem High to compete in the National Drill Team Championship and the team earned second place. He loved learning and was always willing to help tutor students. He was a talented musician and played several instruments. After graduation, he turned down scholarships to colleges so he could pursue his passion of serving our country.
He was well liked and people were drawn to him because of his personality, commitment and loyalty. He was a leader who was respected by many and will be greatly missed. His death let a void in the hearts of his parents, 3 sisters, 2 brothers, niece, and nephew.
TO REMEMBER IS TO HONOR…
Remembering SGT Russell M. Durgin ~ NH Hero
Remembering SGT Russell M. Durgin, HHC Co., 1st Battalion, 1-32 Infantry, Task Force Spartan, 10th Mtn Div
Born 7-2-1982 Concord
KIA 6-13-2006 Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom
Jean, his mom, shared the following with many a few years ago….
“My son, Russell M Durgin, “Russ” enlisted in the US Army Reserves at the age of 17 while a junior in high school. He received training at Ft Leonard Wood, Missouri then returned to his senior year at John Stark Regional High School. On Sept 11, 2001, he was activated and served as an MP at Ft Devons, MA. After 2 months, he decided to re-enlist in full-time Army and was sent to
Ft Benning, Georgia for infantry training. He was sent to the DMZ Korea 2002 and served a year. Upon return to the US, he reported to Ft Drum, NH and within 2 weeks was enroute to Iraq. After a year of intense service, losing friends and experiencing near death experiences, he returned home. He was assigned to the Snipers and Scouts unit and trained in California, Ft Bragg and Montana. He deployed to Afghanistan in March 2006 as a sniper leader. On June 13th, while under attack, Russ diverted fire from his men. It was there that he lost his life.
He left a fiancée, parents, his twin, brothers, a sister, nieces, friends and community to grieve the loss of a wonderful young man. Although we are all proud of his six years of service to us, America, we miss him greatly. Many testimonials were spoken from his men and from his leaders. Lt Col Chris Cavoli, 1-32 Commander said of Russ “Sgt Durgin lived the Warrior Ethos, he never quit and he always put the mission first, in what is probably the most difficult part of our area, he routinely performed acts of bravery while hunting down the enemy. He fought like a tiger and died like a man.”
Sgt Major Jimmy Carabello said “there are American Soldiers still alive in the Chosin Battalion because of his bravery and heroism on the battlefield in the Korengal Valley, there should be a picture of Sgt Durgin to the NCO Creed.”
Never forget….To Remember is to Honor
Honoring and Remembering SGT Daniel Gionet – NH Hero
Remembering SGT Daniel Gionet – he died on June 4, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A2 tank during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
After the bomb shattered the tank he was riding in, Dan tended to the wounded around him, ignoring his serious injuries. When a medic unit finally arrived, he made his last decision. Dan said, “Don’t deal with me. Go help the lieutenant. He’s in greater danger than me”.
He attended Pelham High School where he was a three-season athlete. He was on the football team, baseball team, and was one of the students who helped turn the school’s wrestling club into an official school team. He received the school’s sportsmanship award. When he graduated from high school in 2001, he enlisted in the Army. By 2004, Daniel was serving as a cook for U.S. and Romanian soldiers at Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan but he never really got around to cooking. Enemy fire occupied so much of the time that he had to be an infantryman and fight like the rest of the unit. By May 2004, Daniel’s desire to help others led him to re-enlist and to retrain as a medic. He was deployed to Iraq last December, just before Christmas. In Nov, before his deployment, he married Katrina, the love of his life. How much did he love her? Here is the message on his cell phone: “If this is Katrina, you are the love of my life. – PAUSE – If it’s not Katrina, you know who you called. Leave a message”. There are many things to know about Daniel – he could make you laugh on the worst day of your life, he loved to fish, loved healthy fruit bars (but hated MREs), loved beef jerky and tollhouse cookies. He planned to study culinary arts after completing his service in 2008 and become a professional cook. He didn’t want his family to worry about him so he told them he was safe and his patrol time had been cut from 36-hour shifts to 12-hour stretches. He also told them, “I’m safe. I’m in a tank where nothing can penetrate”. Daniel’s bride Katrina received his Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Remembering CPT Douglas DiCenzo ~ NH Hero
Remembering CPT Douglas DiCenzo, husband, father, son, brother and friend, was killed in action on May 25th, 2006 serving during the War in Iraq. Doug was company commander for C Company in the 1st Armored Division 2nd Brigade based in Baumholder, Germany.
Doug was born and raised in Plymouth, NH. During his years at Plymouth Regional High School, Doug was a natural leader, excelling both in the classroom and on the athletic field. DiCenzo was president of the Plymouth Class of 1995, and captain of the football and wrestling teams. With the help of his younger brother Dan, he led the Bobcat football team to the state championship in his senior year. He also was a school board representative from the high school and was a member of the National Honor Society.
After high school, Doug attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, fulfilling a long time interest in the Army and service for his country. Upon graduation, Doug continued post-graduation training in Georgia, where we had the great fortune to meet a young woman from Tennessee named Nicole. It was love at first sight, and after a courtship that included moving to Fairbanks, Alaska together, Doug & Nicole were married.
Three years after arriving in Alaska, Doug and Nicole were on the move again, this time overseas to Germany. They soon picked up another member of the family when their son, Dakin Mark DiCenzo, was born in 2004. Doug, Nicole and Dak had a wonderful life together in Germany, often getting outside of the confines of the base to explore the outdoors in typical Doug style.
Throughout his life, Doug was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hiking, hunting and skiing. The Captain Douglas DiCenzo Camp Fund was established to help give others the opportunity to pursue the activities that Doug loved himself.
To Remember is to Honor…
Remembering PFC Nicholas Cournoyer ~ NH Hero
Remembering PFC Nicholas Cournoyer – KIA 5/18/06 when an IED detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
Before enlisting, he worked as a mason’s assistant in the Laconia, NH area. He bought a truck that he had fixed up and paid off. He planned to buy a Harley-Davidson after his tour ended.
“He was fun-loving and he had a huge heart that reached out to many people” Natalie, his sister, told the Laconia Citizen. “He was very much proud of being a soldier” His parents described their son as a generous young man who “was always looking out for his buddies in his unit.” Nick was a 2000 graduate of Gilford High School. In the yearbook he listed joining the military as one of his goals. Faculty members remembered him fondly. “He just had a happy presence in school” said school nurse Meg Jenkins. “He was very polite very kind — always had a twinkle in his eye.”
Never forget-
TO REMEMBER IS TO HONOR…..
Spc. David S. Stelmat 22 Mar 2008 ~ Iraq
Maryanne Rennell with the Honor and Remember flag for her son, Spc. David S. Stelmat 22 Mar 2008 ~ Iraq
Presented April 27, 2014 NH Gold Star Mother Day
Flag presented to Honor and Remember her son Spc. David S. Stelmat
Remembering and Honoring LCpl “PJ” Sora ~ NH Hero
Remembering and honoring LCpl “PJ” Sora – Killed 5-4-04
Following is from his dad, Peter:
“PJ was a LCPL in the Marine Corps, and was tragically killed in a HUMVEE roll over at 29 Palms, California, while preparing for deployment to Iraq with his weapons company.
I not sure most Americans are aware of how many of our service members are killed each year as a result of training exercises or non hostile circumstances. I do know this… PJ was an exemplary Marine who had many options in life, but chose the Marine Corps, and volunteered for assignment to a weapons company 3/5 that was headed to Fallujah in the fall of 2004. Even though he never made it to Iraq, he gave his life at age 19 in the battle against terrorism just as surely as if Osama Bin Laden had shot him.
I miss him beyond words, and I promise him each week when I visit his gravesite (NH Vets Cemetery), that I will keep his memory alive as best I can.”
PJ loved all types of music. He was captain of the Londonderry High Wrestling Team. He was also a 1st degree Black Belt. Despite showing toughness as a wrestler and a Marine, he was a pensive and sensitive young man who loved his young nephews and nieces.
This is from his sister, Melissa “I am so grateful for the years we had, your wisdom, kindness, generous sole, the hero you were and so much more. Miss you every day PJ. So grateful for being blessed with you and to have you as my brother. Thank you for letting me know you are near through my kid’s eyes and actions every day. You are always with us! Love you!!
To remember is to honor….
Remembering and Honoring LCpl Robert Moscillo ~ NH Hero
Remembering and honoring LCpl Robert Moscillo, 21 he was KIA on 5-1-06 by a roadside bomb. He was assigned to 1st Combat Engineers, 1st Marine Division, Bravo Company based at Camp Pendleton.
Bobby, to his family, was a 2003 Salem High School graduate and a member of the wrestling team who enjoyed staying as active as possible. He was a sports fanatic and kept a good grade point average and planned to go to college to become a pastor. His teachers remember him as “the kind of boy who tried hard all the time”.
He joined the Marines in 2005 to serve his country and was a machine gunner in his unit charged with detecting land mines. He had planned to make a career out of the military.
He was nicknamed “The Chaplin” at boot camp. He prayed with other Marines and sometimes persuaded them to go to church with him and his grandmother. He wanted to become a pastor and thought the Marines could help him afford seminary school.
Bobby was a son, brother, friend and most of all a father figure to his five siblings. He was close to his cousins and was known for always being protective of his siblings and cousins. Family members said he was not just the stern man seen in his Marine dress photo, but a likable, fun-loving character who served as a good role model to his younger relatives.
As a child Bobby liked G.I. Joe action figures, even dressing up like one for Halloween.
His family learned of Bobby’s death almost 30 years after the death of his uncle, Robert L. Moscillo, for whom he is named, who died returning home from Navy service during the Vietnam War in 1976.
TO REMEMBER IS TO HONOR…
