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Brandon T Thorsen

Trenton, Florida

September 15, 2007

Age

Military

Rank

Unit/Location

Army

Pfc

2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

Fort Bliss, Texas

Died in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident Sept. 14 in Baghdad.

Spc. Brandon Thorsen of Trenton, Fla., was a 2005 Chiefland High School graduate where he played on the football team. He then fulfilled his life's ambition of serving in the Armed Forces serving in the United States Army and had been in Baghdad since November of 2006. He completed basic training in Ft. Benning, Georgia and proceeded on to Ft. Bliss, Texas for combat infantry training. Brandon had been engaged for more than three years and intended to plan the wedding during his leave in December and be married in April 2008. Brandon enjoyed all types of hunting and fishing and especially enjoyed going out in the air boat with his father and fiance and enjoyed working on his truck and hanging out with friends. He wanted to become a game warden for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission after his four year tour in the Army. His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal. Thorsen was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He died of a combat-related gunshot wound at age 22.

Soldier, 22, from Trenton dies in Iraq

The Associated Press

TRENTON, Fla. — A 22-year-old soldier died in Iraq from non-combat related incident, military officials said Tuesday.

Pfc. Brandon T. Thorsen, of Trenton, died Saturday, one day after he sustained the injuries, the Department of Defense said. Military officials did not release details of the incident, but Thorsen’s father told The Gainesville Sun that his son died from a gunshot wound. The incident is under investigation.

Thorsen was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He was posthumously promoted one rank to specialist and awarded the Bronze Star.

A 2005 graduate of Chiefland High School, Thorsen was inspired to join the Army because of Sept. 11, his father told the newspaper.

“He wanted to serve his country,” Donald E. Thorsen, said. “He believed in the mission.”

From Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite

Honoring Brandon Thorsen Of Trenton, Florida

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an American soldier who gave his life in service to our Nation.Army PFC Brandon T. Thorsen of Trenton, Florida, was killed by a gunshot while serving on guard duty in Baghdad, Iraq. Private First Class Thorsen is survived by his mother Susan Hostutler of New York, father Donald Thorsen of Trenton, Florida, sisters Sharony Sheldon of Spring Hill, Florida, and Amber Gay of Trenton, Florida, brother Dereck Hardyman of Gainesville, Florida, and his fiancee, Chana Gilbert of Newberry, Florida.Growing up in Levy County, Brandon attended Chiefland High School, where he was remembered as an outgoing and charming young man with a great sense of humor. A defensive lineman and left tackle on the football team, Brandon played an important role in the team's success during the 2003 season. A lover of the outdoors, hunting and fishing, Brandon had plans to join the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a game warden following his 4-year commitment to the Army.Graduating Chiefland High School in 2005, Brandon fulfilled his ambition to serve the United States military when he was assigned to the 1st Cavalry 2nd Battalion following his enlistment. Inspired by the events of September 11, Brandon completed basic training at Ft. Benning in Georgia, and then went to Ft. Bliss in Texas for his combat infantry training prior to his service in Baghdad that began in November 2006.Madam Speaker, it is soldiers like PFC Brandon Thorsen who have volunteered to protect the freedoms that all Americans hold dear. While brave men and women like Brandon have perished in the name of freedom and liberty, his family, friends and loved ones should know that this Congress will never forget his sacrifice and commitment.