Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

January 18, 2007 issue

Soldiers from North Carolina Killed in Iraq

Peace advocates read this list of 70 fatalities interspersed with quotations from Martin Luther King, Jr. from the front steps of the Jones House on Monday.

Aberdeen – Voss, Michael S., Staff Sergeant, 08-Oct-2004

  • Apex – Tosto, Michael L., Sergeant, 17-Jun-2003
  • Apex – Taylor, David G., Major, 22-Oct-2006
  • Asheville – Hess, Kenneth D., Specialist, 11-Apr-2006
  • Ayden – Murray, Rodney A., Sergeant, 09-May-2004
  • Benson – Parr, David S., Lance Corporal, 06-Feb-2006
  • Chapel Hill – Beard, Bradley S., Specialist, 14-Oct-2004
  • Chapel Hill – Martinez, Misael, Staff Sergeant, 11-Nov-2006
  • Charlotte – Howman, Gregory C., Lance Corporal, 15-Sep-2004
  • Charlotte – Jacobsen Jr., William W., Captain, 21-Dec-2004
  • Charlotte – Carver Jr., Mitchell K., Chief Warrant Officer, 13-Jan-2006
  • Charlotte – Golla, Cliff, Lance Corporal, 01-Sep-2006
  • Clayton – Jacobs, Jeriad P., Lance Corporal, 07-Jan-2006
  • Conover – Cockerham III, Benny Gray, Corporal, 21-Oct-2005
  • Conover – Huffman, Jason, Specialist, 06-Dec-2006
  • Creedmore – Brown II, Lunsford B., Specialist, 20-Sep-2003
  • Dunn – Miller, Marvin Lee, Sergeant 1st Class, 07-Apr-2004
  • Dunn – Guerrera, Joseph R., Private, 26-Oct-2003
  • Durham – Anderson, Brian Edward, Lance Corporal, 02-Apr-2003
  • Durham – Teewia, Prince K., Specialist, 29-Dec-2005
  • Erwin – Johnson, Robert T., Specialist, 07-Jan-2006
  • Fayetteville – Buehring, Charles H., Lieutenant Colonel, 26-Oct-2003
  • Fayetteville – Solomon, Roderic Antoine, Sergeant, 28-Mar-2003
  • Fayetteville – Dennie, Mike A., Staff Sergeant, 29-Sep-2004
  • Fayetteville – Boatman, Darrell W., Gunnery Sergeant, 04-Nov-2005
  • Fayetteville – Clay, Darrell P., Staff Sergeant, 01-Apr-2006
  • Fort Bragg – Murphy, Shawn M., Private 1st Class, 10-Dec-2006
  • Garner – Sanchez, Enrique Henry, Private 1st Class, 27-Jul-2006
  • Greensboro – Krause, Elmer C., Sergeant, 09-Apr-2004
  • Greensboro – Russoli, Andrew D., Lance Corporal, 20-Oct-2005
  • Greensboro – Lucas, Adam, Lance Corporal, 26-May-2006
  • Greensboro – Barlow, Patrick O., Staff Sergeant, 18-Oct-2006
  • Hampstead – Pate, Christopher T., Captain, 21-Jul-2006
  • Hendersonville – Kinzer Jr., William S., Sergeant, 26-Jan-2005
  • High Point – Barbosa, Felipe C., Corporal, 28-Jan-2006
  • Jacksonville – Desens, Daniel A., Specialist, 24-Jan-2004
  • Jamestown – Callahan, Robert Thomas, Specialist, 19-Sep-2006
  • Kannapolis – Parson, David B., Sergeant, 06-Jul-2003
  • Lenoir – Ramseyer, Jason C., Staff Sergeant, 20-Apr-2006
  • Lumberton – Bryan, Benjamin S., Lance Corporal, 13-Nov-2004
  • Mooresboro – Ebert, Christopher S., Corporal, 17-Sep-2004
  • Mooresville – Adams, Leonard W., Sergeant, 24-Jan-2005
  • Mooresville – Adams, Mark P., Sergeant, 15-Oct-2005
  • Nags Head – Caddy, Marshall H., Staff Sergeant, 16-Nov-2004
  • Nebo – Whitener, Joey D., Private 1st Class, 15-Nov-2003
  • New Bern – Simmons, Leonard D., Sergeant, 06-Aug-2003
  • N. Wilkesboro – Thompson, Christopher W., Petty Officer, 21-Oct-2005
  • Oak Island – Forbes, Aaron M., Specialist, 28-Dec-2005
  • Raleigh – Lambert III, James I., Specialist, 31-Jul-2003
  • Raleigh – Green, David S., Lieutenant Colonel, 28-Jul-2004
  • Robeson County – Deese, Joshua, 1st Lieutenant, 15-Oct-2006
  • Rowan – Butler, Kenneth J., Lance Corporal, 21-Oct-2005
  • Salisbury – Wahl, Gregory L., Sergeant, 03-May-2004
  • Salisbury – Elrod, Nathan R., Lance Corporal, 21-Oct-2006
  • Snow Camp – Lam, Alan Dinh, Lance Corporal, 22-Apr-2003
  • Snow Camp – Buckley, Roy Russell, Specialist, 22-Apr-2003
  • Southport – White, Christopher N., Private 1st Class, 20-Jun-2006
  • Stokesdale – Gibbs, Nicholas R., Specialist, 06-Dec-2006
  • Wagram – Bacon, Henry A., Sergeant 1st Class, 20-Feb-2004
  • Washington – Jones, Kevin M., Specialist, 22-Sep-2005
  • Watha – Bibby, Mark Anthony, Corporal, 21-Jul-2003
  • Wilmington – Smith, John M., Sergeant, 12-May-2005
  • Wilson – Edmundson, Phillip C., Specialist, 01-Jun-2005
  • Windsor – Creighton, Shawn R., Specialist, 08-Apr-2006
  • Winston Salem – Houck, David B., Lance Corporal, 26-Nov-2004
  • Winston Salem – Ruth, Monta S., Sergeant, 31-Aug-2005
  • Winterville – Cash, Christopher S., Captain, 24-Jun-2004
  • Winterville – Benson, Darry, Sergeant, 27-Aug-2006
  • Wrightsville Beach – Carrasquillo, Jocelyn L., Specialist, 14-Mar-2004
  • Yadkinville – Swaim, Daniel Freeman, Lance Corporal, 10-Nov-2005

 

 

Breakdown of Solider Deaths in Iraq by Ranks

The North Carolina soldiers who have died in Iraq include enlisted, noncommissioned officers and officers—from private to lieutenant colonel.

1—Private: In the U.S. Army, privates (E-1 and E-2) are the two lowest enlisted ranks.

4—Privates First Class: In the U.S. Army, private first class is the third lowest enlisted rank. In the U.S. Marine Corps, it is the second lowest, just under lance corporal and just above private.

12—Lance Corporals: In the U.S. Marine Corps, lance corporal is the third lowest enlisted rank, just above private first class and below corporal. It is not a noncommissioned officer rank. The marines are the only component of the U.S. Armed Forces to have lance corporals.

16—Specialists: Specialist is one section of the fourth enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, just above private first class and below corporal.

5—Corporals: In the U.S. Army, a corporal is the fourth enlisted rank, the first three being forms of private and the fourth being the specialist. A corporal ranks above a specialist and below a sergeant.

13—Sergeants: Sergeant is a noncommissioned officer ranking above privates and corporals, and below warrant officers and commissioned officers.

7—Staff Sergeants: In the U.S. Army, a staff sergeant is a noncommissioned officer just above sergeant and below sergeant first class. Staff sergeants are generally placed in charge of squads, but can also act as platoon sergeants in the absence of a sergeant first class.

2—Sergeants First Class: Sergeant first class is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, just above staff sergeant and below master sergeant, and is first grade at which a noncommissioned officer is considered a senior noncommissioned officer.

1—Gunnery Sergeant: Gunnery sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Marine Corps, just above staff sergeant and below master sergeant and first sergeant, and is a staff noncommissioned officer.

1—Petty Officer: Petty officer is a noncommissioned officer or equivalent in the navy.

1—Chief Warrant Officer: Chief warrant officers take the same oath and receive the same commission and charges as commissioned officers. Warrant officers can and do command detachments, units, activities and vessels as well as lead, coach, train and counsel subordinates.

1—First Lieutenant: In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, first lieutenant is the second-lowest ranking commissioned officer. It is one step above the rank of second lieutenant, usually promoted after 18 to 24 months service. A first lieutenant usually leads more specialized platoons or may be the executive officer of a company-sized unit of 110 to 140 personnel.

3—Captains: Captain is the commissioned officer rank above a lieutenant and below a major.

1—Major: Majors are officers of mid-level command status usually immediately superior to the rank of captain and immediately subordinate to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

2—Lieutenant Colonels: In the U.S. Army, a lieutenant colonel typically commands a battalion-sized unit of 300 to 1,000 soldiers, with a Sergeant Major as principal noncommissioned officer assistant. A lieutenant colonel may also serve as a brigade or task force Executive Officer. The rank of Lieutenant Colonel is usually gained after around 18 years of service as an officer. Because most officers are eligible to retire after 20 years active service, it is the most common rank at which career officers retire

 

 

Breakdown of North Carolina Solider Deaths in Iraq by Year

North Carolina soldier deaths spiked in 2006. During that year, 840 U.S. military deaths overall were reported, and on Tuesday, the United Nations said more than 34,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in violence in 2006. The total U.S. casualty count since the war began on March 19, 2003 is 3,020.

2003—13

2004—18

2005—15

2006—24

 

 

Elected Officials’ Statements on the President’s Iraq Plan

Following President Bush’s speech on January 10 in which he called for more than 20,000 additional American troops to be deployed to Iraq, U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx and Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr released statements the next day commenting on the President’s plan. U.S. Representative Patrick McHenry did not release a statement after the speech, but when queried, his press secretary responded with four quotes from the congressman.

Foxx Statement on President Bush’s New Direction for the Iraq War

“I applaud the President for recognizing the need for a new direction in the Iraq war and presenting tangible solutions to the problems we currently face. By laying out the three critical components for success, the President is showing the American people that there is an attainable solution. We must embrace this new direction by facing the military, political and economic challenges before any progress can be made. I am very pleased the President has stood by his pledge to accept nothing shot of victory and has shown the American people he will adapt to achieve this.

“The war in Iraq is critical to the Global War on Terror and we must continue to fight and defend against the terrorists there as much as at home. We must maintain our efforts to provide security and stability for the Iraqi government and its people until they are able to do so themselves. We cannot walk away or we will face increased bloodshed at home and abroad. I applaud the President for recognizing the need for a new direction in the Iraq war in order to achieve this and presenting tangible solutions to the problems we currently face there.

“This new approach has received approval by the top military leaders both at the Pentagon and in the field. I support making sure that the Iraqis take the lead and act aggressively and swiftly against any violence. Prime Minister Maliki has issued a commitment to meet these challenges, and the President must hold him accountable to this pledge. It is my hope that the proposals put forth will lead to success in the war in Iraq.

“Our troops deserve unwavering support and this new direction the President has implemented must show progress. Now is the time to unite as Americans, and not as partisan politicians. I look forward to the day when a free and democratic Iraqi government and its people can defend themselves and be a model for others in the Middle East.”

McHenry’s Comments on the President’s Speech

“I need more than a speech for me to endorse a plan.

“The President's plan is a work in progress, and as always, the generals on the ground need to be the ones dictating the policy.

“It's less of a question of how many troops are in Iraq than what they'll be doing. If the generals on the ground believe they need more troops or more open rules of engagement, we need to do what is necessary.

“We all want success in Iraq. It's a matter of how to achieve it. We can't simply leave tomorrow.”

Dole Statement on the President’s Iraq Plan

“To succeed in Iraq, it is clear that we need a new plan, as the president acknowledged this evening. I am encouraged that the president’s plan requires the Iraqis to play a much greater role in the stabilization of their country, and that his plan is more comprehensive than simply increasing the number of U.S. troops.

“The status quo in Iraq is not acceptable. Mistakes have been made, but I strongly believe that we can and must succeed. The current security and political situation in Iraq is difficult, but a precipitous withdrawal would guarantee defeat and would have catastrophic implications for the security of our country and the stability of the Middle East region.

“I am inclined to support the president’s overall plan to make economic revitalization and reconstruction in Iraq a higher priority and to increase the U.S. troop presence to help the Iraqi government impose its authority, weaken the militias and bolster reconstruction. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and as a senator representing more than 100,000 North Carolina service members—many of whom will be deployed under this proposal—I want to know more details about the specific missions these men and women will perform and how this new direction will get the job done, stabilize Iraq and allow our troops in harm’s way to return home.

“For example, I was pleased to hear that the president plans to assign additional troops to provide on-the-ground security after insurgents have been cleared from an area, thereby implementing the ‘hold’ portion of the military’s ‘clear, hold, build’ strategy. This security is essential to increase popular support for the Iraqi government and to rebuild infrastructure.

“In addition, I welcome the Administration putting forward a plan to increase the overall size of the Army and Marine Corps. Our service chiefs have been requesting this for some time now, and with more and more being asked of our military, I strongly support an increase in the size of the Army and Marine Corps.”

Burr Statement on President Bush’s Remarks on Iraq

“I have always believed we must succeed in Iraq. Failure is not an option. We owe it to our troops and to the Iraqi people to remain committed to supporting a free and stable Iraq.

The Iraqi leadership must rise to the challenge—the world is watching. It is critical for the Iraqi government to take immediate steps to disband the sectarian militias and death squads, pass key oil sharing legislation, and hold provincial elections.

I saw firsthand the need for security and stability in Iraq while visiting Baghdad and Balad in September. I believe it is essential we first end the violence that has escalated in the streets of Baghdad if the Iraqi people are to live in peace and freedom.

I support a temporary surge in U.S. troops provided those troops are given a clearly defined mission and achievable military objectives.

Our success in Iraq will define the security of our children as well as generations to come.”