On the eve of this Veterans Day, all seven men were hailed as heroes who knew of honor, duty and country.
But the sacrifices of the members of Fort Lewis’ 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division might have been most evident not in words, but in tender actions.
A father, deep in grief, hugged his son’s gear, not wanting to let go.
Vice President Joe Biden stopped solemnly at each soldier’s helmet, rifle and boots at the end of the service and placed a special coin in honor of each man.
Biden paused for a moment in the center of the North Fort Chapel, slowly saluted and held the tribute for the men he’d earlier credited with bringing hope to their nation.
“They were heroes. They were warriors. They knew the risk, yet day after day they’d saddle up and go out into No Man’s Land and do the job,” Biden said.
He was the nation’s first sitting vice president or president to attend a memorial at the local Army post, at least since the start of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
The seven men remembered Tuesday were part of a Stryker brigade that has reported 28 dead since it was deployed to Afghanistan in July.
Those honored Tuesday were:
• Sgt. 1st Class Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, of South Ozone Park, N.Y.
• Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, 24, of Alamo, Texas.
• Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, of Terre Haute, Ind.
• Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, 27, of Plattsburg, Mo.
• Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson, 24, of Broussard, La.
• Spc. Jared D. Stanker, 22, of Evergreen Park, Ill.
• Pfc. Christopher I. Walz, 25, of Vancouver, Wash.
The seven soldiers were killed together when their vehicle hit a concealed bomb in southern Afghanistan two weeks ago.
Biden said there was no solace he could offer to assuage the terrible loss suffered by these soldiers’ families.
But someday they might find consolation knowing that each man “gave his life in the pursuit of the noblest of all earthly goals: defending his family, defending his country, defending and fighting for what he believed in,” Biden said.
Among the guests Tuesday was former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili, the retired general who lives in Steilacoom; Gov. Chris Gregoire’s husband, Mike; U.S. Reps. Norm Dicks, Adam Smith, Jim McDermott and Jay Inslee; and retired Lt. Gen. William Harrison of Lakewood, a former Fort Lewis commander.
At one point, Biden addressed Shalikashvili this way: “You told me a long, long time ago about the spirit of these kids – they’re not kids, they’re grown men and women – but it’s amazing to me, it’s amazing how so few do so much for so many.”
Nearly 200 Fort Lewis soldiers have died in Iraq, while 46 have died in Afghanistan and the Philippines. There are about 18,000 Fort Lewis troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, some 5,000 of them in Afghanistan, spokesman Joseph Piek said.
Biden met with members of the Walz, Gonzalez and Williamson families before the service. He also spoke with families of some other 5th Brigade soldiers killed in the past three months: Capt. John Hallett, Capt. Cory Jenkins, Sgt. Andrew McConnell, Spc. Aaron Aamot, Spc. Kevin Graham and Spc. Joseph White. A room in the chapel was set aside before the service for Gold Star families, those who’ve lost someone in the service of the nation.
Fellow soldiers recalled their brothers in arms as pranksters, lovers of music and video games, sports fans, snowboarders, fierce and loyal friends, tender husbands, doting fathers, cherished sons.
Their deaths humble those who survive, and point out the blessings of being more appreciative of the little things in life, Col. Kenneth Hegtvedt, the I Corps chaplain, said in his benediction.
“These seven brave men make this ground hallowed,” he said.
Kris Sherman: 253-597-8659
kris.sherman@thenewstribune.com
Sgt. Dale Russel Griffin, one of the seven soldiers memorialized Tuesday at Fort Lewis, will receive a posthumous bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Saint Martin’s University, the university announced.
Griffin, 29, had been attending Saint Martin’s classes at its Fort Lewis campus and over the Internet during his deployment to Afghanistan, said university spokeswoman Genevieve Chan.
Griffin enrolled in 2007 and had applied for graduation for this school year, with one more class to attend upon his return from Afghanistan, she said.
Griffin, of Terre Haute, Ind., died in a roadside bombing Oct. 27.
Griffin’s professors recalled a good and committed student, Chan said.
“He was an ideal Saint Martin’s student,” Chan said. “He showed valor and commitment not only in service but to his studies as well.”
Venice Buhain, The Olympian
