Remembering Army Sgt. Randy Scott Rosenberg ~ NH Hero
Remembering Army Sgt. Randy Scott Rosenberg – KIA on 1-24-04 in Khalidiyah, Iraq He was killed when a vehicle-based explosive device detonated near his military vehicle at a checkpoint. He was on his second tour of duty in the Middle East, following service in Kuwait. He was assigned to Company B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, Ft. Hood, TX.
Randy was raised by his grandfather, William, a Korean War veteran. William remembers his grandson as a ‘big, husky fellow and a great fly-fisher, liked by all.” He was a 1998 graduate of Berlin High School NH) and after graduation followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and joined the Army. He was a soldier who carried kindness and candy with him, marked his Bible with a “Sugar Babies” candy wrapper, and wore his cap backward when he wasn’t on duty.”
Family members remember Randy as fearless, inspiring his wife Misty to share his belief that nothing would go wrong while he was in Iraq. He was fond of fly-fishing and playing hockey, and was considering making the military his career. His mother said before he went to Iraq, she asked if he was scared. “It’s my job – it’s what I’m trained to do,” he said. He had the ability to make anyone laugh or smile, even at his own expense. Randy was called Rosey by friends and fellow soldiers. They remember him as a ‘good NCO’ that care for his guys and was a good friend to those who didn’t know the ropes. “Rosey” knew how to talk to everyone and was liked by all.
On Memorial Day, May 31, Berlin honored the 23-year-old man by dedicating the Sgt. Randy Rosenberg Memorial Highway in front of the Unity Street Botanical Gardens, located on a section of Hutchins Street from Glen Avenue to East Mason Street. A plaque and street sign mark this stretch of road, paralleling the Androscoggin River.
To remember is to honor….
Remembering SGT William Tracy ~ NH Hero
Remembering SGT William Tracy – Killed on 2/25/03 in a UH-60 Black Hawk – crashed in a sandstorm during training in Kuwait. He was assigned to B Company, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation, Aviano Air Base, Italy.
William graduated from Merrimack Valley High School in 1993 and spent one semester pursuing his love of art at a local school before enlisting in the Marines. After four years, he returned home for a short time before joining the Army to fly helicopters. He was a crew chief; he fixed the aircraft on the ground and helped pilots navigate in the air. William was a soldier to the core, volunteering for every mission. His deployments ranged from Atlas Drop, Tunisia; Flintlock, Mali, Strong Resolve, Norway; Lariat Response, Hungary; Victory Strike III, Poland; and Enduring Freedom, Kuwait. He loved to travel and rarely stayed home on weekends. He remained close to his family through e-mail and long telephone calls. He loved meeting people from around the world and brought toys and gifts with him so they would think well of the United States and its soldiers.
May God be with his family and give them comfort and peace. Never forget.
TO REMEMBER IS TO HONOR….
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- New Hampshire Hero
Remembering Navy SEAL Nate Hardy ~ NH Heroes
Remembering Navy SEAL Nate Hardy – KIA February 4, 2008 during Operation Iraqi Freedom against an al Qaeda suicide bomb cell.
The following is from his family: “As early as 6th grade, Nate wrote a paper about becoming a Navy SEAL. Through his years on the soccer and lacrosse fields he discovered and developed the fierce competitiveness and team first mentality that would later serve him well on the road to achieving his goal. In his senior year, he was selected by the New Hampshire soccer coaches to the all-state second team. He was elected by his teammates as a co-captain of his high school Boys Lacrosse team. In November 1997, five months after graduating, he enlisted in the United States Navy and began his SEAL journey. It included graduation with BUD/S Class 221, 3 deployments with SEAL Team 8, completion of the eighteen month course in Arabic at the Defense Language Institute, successful screening and selection as the ‘number one draft choice” to the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group (aka Seal Team 6), and a final deployment with DevGru KILO Team.
Nate’s military honors included selection as Distinguished Military Graduate from Quartermaster “A” School, selection as Honorman at tactical entry expert school, two Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, promotion to the rank of Chief Petty Officer and numerous other medals. He seldom talked about his SEAL deployments. He kept his first Bronze Star in a locker at his base and dismissively told his father “Dad, it’s not about the medals. It’s about serving my country and the guys I work with”.
His life was fulfilled in his marriage to Mindi on June 4, 2005 and the birth of their son, Parker on July 16, 2007.
To Honor is to Remember
