| From The New York Daily News nydailynews.com
10/13/11:
Sergeant Nathan L. Wyrick
BY CELESTE KATZ
Gov. Cuomo has directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Monday, October 17 in honor of a Fort Drum soldier who died in Afghanistan on October 10.
Sergeant Nathan L. Wyrick died in Kandahar province while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team stationed at Fort Drum.
Sergeant Wyrick was from Enumclaw, Washington.
"I join with all New Yorkers in mourning the loss of Sergeant Wyrick and I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers," Cuomo said.
"We will honor his service and his dedication to our country."
Gov. Cuomo has directed that the flags on all state buildings be lowered to half-staff in honor of and in tribute to our state's service members and those stationed in New York who are killed in action or die in a combat zone. |
| From The Seattle Times nwsource.com
10/12/11:
Sergeant from Tacoma dies in Afghanistan
An Army sergeant from Tacoma died in Afghanistan this week. Sgt. Nathan Wyrick, 34, leaves behind a wife and four sons.
By Adam Ashton
The News Tribune
An Army sergeant from Tacoma died in Afghanistan this week — the second soldier with local ties reported killed in that country since Saturday.
Sgt. Nathan Wyrick, 34, leaves behind a wife and four sons.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. Sgt. Wyrick was a supply specialist who deployed to Afghanistan in March. He'd had two previous deployments to Iraq.
Word of Sgt. Wyrick's death circulated Tuesday among Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers who knew him from a past assignment and among his fellow worshippers at Lakewood's New Hope Community Church.
Sgt. Wyrick graduated from Franklin Pierce High School with the class of 1996 and played for the school's varsity football team, a school spokesman said.
He left a lasting mark on his friends at New Hope church. They remembered him as a generous man who had served in Iraq and looked out for other Army families coping with deployments to the Middle East.
"He was a dad first and foremost, and a soldier second," said Andrea Wright, 28, of University Place.
Wright learned of Sgt. Wyrick's death Monday from the soldier's wife, Rachel Wyrick. They became close friends several years ago when Wright's husband was assigned to Lewis-McChord.
Another friend said Sgt. Wyrick loved his children so much he had tattoos of their names. He had an affection for other children, too, spending time with Wright's four sons when her husband served on a deployment overseas.
"He was uncle Nay-Nay," she said.
The Wyricks moved about a year and a half ago to Fort Drum, N.Y., when Sgt. Wyrick was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division. They've visited the South Sound several times since then, friends said.
Dan Livingston, a friend from New Hope Church, admired how Sgt. Wyrick supported his family while serving in the Army. Livingston said Sgt. Wyrick joined the service after first pursuing a career as a civilian electrician.
"He was a real passionate dad who joined the Army to support his family," Livingston said.
Another friend remembered Sgt. Wyrick as a "gung ho" soldier who never had a bad word to say about others.
"He was proud of the job he did," said Iona Parker, 60, of Steilacoom. "He did it very well. He wasn't a shirker and he didn't bad-mouth anyone."
The Wyricks stayed with the Parkers just before they moved to New York. Iona Parker said Nathan would spend time in the garage with her husband, talking about military life and "sharing what it means to leave your family and the risks involved."
"He desperately loved his family," Parker said.
Sgt. Wyrick is the second soldier with local connections to lose his life in Afghanistan in recent days. Spc. Ricardo Cerros Jr., an Army Ranger from Lewis-McChord, was killed in combat Saturday.
Material from The Associated Press was included in this report. |
| Nathan L. Wyrick Army Staff Sgt. Nathan L. Wyrick, 34, of Enumclaw, Wash., made the ultimate sacrifice on Oct. 10, 2011, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Nathan deployed with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Drum, N.Y., as a supply specialist in March 2011. He was previously stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash., from September 2006 until July 2010. During that time, he deployed to Iraq from August 2008 to August 2009. Nathan graduated from Tacoma's Franklin Pierce High School in 1996 where he played for the school's varsity football team, and most recently was an active and well-respected member of the New Hope Community Church in Lakewood. Nathan was the adored husband of Rachel Wyrick, of Enumclaw, and father of Stephan, Garrett, Ethan and Tanner. Nathan also leaves behind other family members and countless others who love and miss him tremendously. A celebration of Nathan's life will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m., at the Church of Latter-day Saints in Lakewood, Wash., located at 5220 104th St SW. A memorial fund has been set up for Nathan's wife and sons. Anyone wishing to contribute may do so through the "Remembering Nate Wyrick Foundation" at any Key Bank or U.S. Bank. |
The Associated Press
TACOMA, Wash. - The Defense Department says a soldier from Enumclaw died Monday in Afghanistan of combat-related injuries.
Sgt. Nathan L. Wyrick, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. He formerly was based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
The News Tribune reports he leaves a wife and four sons. He was a 1996 graduate of Franklin Pierce High School who played football.
Wyrick, 34, was a supply specialist who deployed to Afghanistan in March. He had two previous deployments to Iraq. |
