| From The Fort Campbell Courier fortcampbellcourier.com
11/04/10
Posted: Thursday, November 4, 2010 3:06 pm
Media Release The Fort Campbell Courier
Two 101st Airborne Division Soldiers died Monday, when their unit was attacked with a vehicle-borne explosive device in the Zhari district, Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Both Soldiers were Infantrymen assigned to Company A., 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Specialist Jonathan M. Curtis, 24, of Belmont, Mass., joined the Army in September 2004 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2009.
His awards and decorations include: Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; and Combat Infantry Badge.
Curtis is survived by his wife, Samantha Curtis and daughter Tessa-Marie A. Curtis, of Knoxville, Tenn.; father, Philip C. Curtis, of Belmont, Mass.; and mother, Pamela Curtis of Cambridge, Mass.
Private 1st Class Andrew N. Meari, 21, of Plainfield, Ill., joined the Army in October 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2009.
His awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; and Combat Infantry Badge.
Meari is survived by his mother, Denise Meehan of Plainfield, Ill.; and father, Mahmoud Meari of Grafton, Wisc.
In a separate incident, a 101st Airborne Division Soldier died Saturday, after his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device in the Zhari district, Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Specialist Brett W. Land, 24, of Wasco, Calif. was an Infantryman assigned to Company C., 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
He joined the Army in November 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2009.
His awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; and Airborne Tab.
Land is survived by his wife, Sarah E. Mejia, and daughter, Riley E. Land of Hesperia, Calif.; parents, Kenneth and Gretchen of Bakersfield, Calif.
In a separate incident, a 101st Airborne Division Soldier died Friday, in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit Oct. 27 with small arms fire in the Yahya Khel district in Afghanistan.
Sergeant Diego A. Solorzano-Valdovinos, 24, of Huntington Park, Calif., was an Infantryman assigned to Company A., 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.
He joined the Army in February 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2006.
His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Expert Infantry Badge, Air Assault Tab, and Drivers/Mechanics Badge/Wheeled Vehicle.
Solorzano-Valdovinos is survived by his mother, Patricia Valdovinos of Huntington Park, Calif.
In a separate incident, a 101st Airborne Division Soldier died Friday, when he came under attack from rocket propelled grenades while on a mounted patrol in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
Specialist Pedro A. Maldonado, 20, of Houston, was an Infantryman assigned to Company B., 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
He joined the Army in August 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2009.
His awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and the Combat Infantry Badge.
Maldonado is survived by his parents, Pedro and Maria Maldonado of Houston.
In another incident, a 101st Airborne Division Soldier died Oct. 28, when struck by an improvised explosive device while on dismounted foot patrol in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer, 26, of Winston Salem, N.C., was an Infantryman assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
He joined the Army in Oct. 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in Nov. 2009.
His awards and decorations include: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Superior Unit Award; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Air Assault Badge; Expert Infantry Badge; Parachutists Badge; Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge and Marksmanship Qualification Expert Badge.
Dickmyer is survived by his wife, Melinda K. Dickmyer of Arlington, Va.; father, David Dickmyer of Winston Salem, N.C.; and mother, Stephanie L. Dickmyer, of New Port Richey, Fla. |
| From KHOU Houston, Texas khou.com
11/07/11:
Visitation held for soldier killed in Afghanistan
by Courtney Zubowski / 11 News khou.com
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 7:24 PM
Updated Monday, Nov 8 at 9:46 AM
HOUSTON—A visitation was held Sunday for a local soldier who gave his life in Afghanistan.
"I’m going to miss a lot of things and it’s hurting me a lot," said his aunt, Juanita Maldonado.
Army Spc. Pedro Antonio Maldonado, a 20-year-old Furr High School graduate, died Friday, Oct. 29. He was on patrol when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the vehicle he was riding in. It was the Houston native’s first tour of duty.
Maldonado joined the Army two years ago. It was a dream of his since he got involved with ROTC in high school.
"He wanted to progress. He had dreams," said Juanita Maldonado.
Those dreams included helping his parents and three siblings, one of which is a twin sister.
"I couldn’t believe it," said his 13-year-old sister, Jennifer Maldonado. "I was like, ‘he’s gone’ and then I was thinking he was going to still come back in May."
That’s when Maldonado was supposed to return from Afghanistan. His family said they’ll cherish the two weeks they spent with him last summer.
"He told me not to think of him bad, that he had plans for his family and that is what is here in my heart," said Juanita Maldonado.
During that same visit, Maldonado told his family he wanted to make them proud. At the visitation Sunday, his family said that’s exactly what he did.
Funeral services for Maldonado will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Compean Funeral Home. Burial services will immediately follow at San Jacinto Cemetery. |
