Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington - Iraq War Heroes, Fallen Heroes Memorial, Afghanistan War Heroes- OurWarHeroes.org

Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington

Camp Pendleton, California

June 14, 2008

Age

Military

Rank

Unit/Location

Marine

Sgt

2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1^st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force

Twentynine Palms, California

Killed while supporting combat operations in Farah Province, Afghanistan.

Tribute Site

www.RememberingMichaelWashington.com

Welcoming Home Our Hero. Click photo below for some snapshots.

June 19, 2008

For memorial service snapshots, Click photo below.

June 27, 2008

Below Snapshots, Courtesy of Cary Collins

Honoring The Life Of Sergeant Michael Toussaint-Hyle Washington, A United States Marine Killed In The Line Of Duty

From Rep. Adam Smith

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Sergeant Michael Toussaint-Hyle Washington, a United States Marine who was killed with three other Marines while supporting combat operations in the Farah Province in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device struck their Humvee on June 14, 2008.Michael T. Washington was born on October 6, 1987 at Camp Pendleton where his father Michael Washington Senior served also as a Marine. Michael would follow in his father's and his grandfather's footsteps to become his family's third generation to serve in the United States Marine Corps.Early on, young Michael Washington had a strong sense of faith and duty. As a student at Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington, Michael enjoyed playing soccer, reading, playing practical jokes on his family, and was a member of Stadium's ROTC program.While listening to a story on the radio with his father, Michael heard a journalist speak highly of the Marines after returning from Iraq. The journalist spoke of the Marines' virtues and bravery on and off the battlefield. Michael Senior knew his son was destined to become a Marine when his son turned to him and said, ``I want to defend people who can't defend themselves. It takes a lot for people to stand up and do this.''Michael Washington did just that, joining the Marine Corps at age 17. On March 11, 2007, a year before his death, then-Corporal Washington's squad was ambushed in Iraq. Washington provided the support fire necessary to enable his fellow endangered Marines to escape the kill zone and return to safety. He received commendations from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines for Outstanding Achievement in the performance of his duties as Fire Team Leader of the 3rd Platoon, Golf Company. Washington was promoted to Sergeant soon after to become squad leader in the 1st Platoon at only the age of 20.Sergeant Washington died a proud Marine while serving in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Forces. Michael is survived by his father Michael Washington Senior--a Seattle firefighter and former United States Marine, his mother Grace Washington--an artist, community activist, and teacher at Salhalie Middle School, and his sister Aja Collins--an Army veteran whose husband Erik recently returned from Afghanistan where he served with the 101st Airborne.Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives please join me in paying tribute to Sergeant Michael Toussaint-Hyle Washington in honor of his love and sacrifice for our Nation.In honor of Michael, I also ask that this poem, penned by Mr. Albert Caswell, be placed in the Record.

From The Tacoma News Tribune

Michael T. Washington Tacoma, Washington. Sgt Michael Toussaint-Hyle Washington, was killed in action in Afghanistan on Saturday, June 14th, 2008, while serving with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division.

Michael was born at Naval Hospital, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California, on October 6th 1987 to Michael and Grace Washington. Michael was a 2005 Stadium High School graduate. He was active in the Navy JROTC program. Michael also played soccer with the Norpoint Wolves Soccer Club. Michael enjoyed reading history and political science as well as classics books. Michael also worked at North Shore Golf Course prior to joining the Marines. Michael is survived by his parents Michael and Grace, sister Aja, brother in law Erik, niece Jada and numerous friends and family members. Michael was preceded in death by his close friends Lance Corporal Blake Howey, and Lance Corporal Nathan Windsor also of Golf 2/7, who were killed in action in Iraq in 2007. Michael died in combat with his brother Marines Lance Corporal Layton Crass of Indiana, Private First Class Patton and Private First Class Pietra. Funeral services will be held at 10 am, Friday, June 27 at Northwest Church, 34800 21st Ave SW, Federal Way. Burial will be immediately after the service at Mt Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent. Memorial contributions can be made to Seattle's Bravest Charity at the Seattle Fire Department, Union Local 27.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Marine Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington
Remember Our Heroes

Marine Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, 20, of Tacoma, Wash.

Sgt. Washington was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died June 14, 2008 in Farah province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. Also killed were Lance Cpl. Layton Bradly Crass, Pfc. Dawid Pietrek and Pfc. Michael Robert Patton.

Seattle Post Intelligencer -- As a kid about 10 years ago, Michael Washington was something of a fixture at Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood firehouse, where he sometimes accompanied his firefighter dad.

The men and women who worked there recall a fun kid mature beyond his years, who looked you straight in the eye while his legs dangled from the end of a recliner. Eventually he grew to tower over his dad, after whom he was named and whom he admired.

The elder Michael Washington joined the Seattle Fire Department in 1994 and served 23 years in the Marine Corps and reserves, including tours in Desert Storm in 1991, Bosnia, and two tours in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2003 before retiring as a master sergeant in 2004. His own father had served in the Marines in Korea.

So, after graduating from Stadium High School in Tacoma three years ago, the younger Michael Washington at 17 became the third generation from his family to serve in the Corps.

In Iraq a year ago, the younger Washington earned citations for bravery, providing cover as fellow Marines extricated themselves from a deadly field of fire.

In April, he went overseas again, this time in Afghanistan as a sergeant with his unit, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. The unit was assigned to train and help struggling Afghan national police units in southwestern Afghanistan.

On Saturday, Washington, 20, was one of four Marines riding in a Humvee who were killed by a homemade bomb hidden in a roadway near Farah Province in Afghanistan. It was the worst single attack on coalition forces in Afghanistan this year.

Washington is the first Marine with ties to Washington state among the 23 locally connected members of the armed forces who have died in Afghanistan since the war there nearly seven years ago, a month after 9/11.

Washington's dad said he was pulling duty Sunday morning at Fire Station 16 at Green Lake when Marine casualty notification officers tracked him down and broke the news.

"You think about that but you can never prepare for that," Michael Washington said Monday as he sat in his garage near North Shore Golf Course in Tacoma, where his son once played and worked. "This loss is obviously personal and my family is grieving, but I want the city and the country to know we lost somebody pretty special," he said. "My son was just a good guy -- a kid who would cut elderly people's yards when they were sick and couldn't cut it themselves."

Washington is survived by his father, now working mainly in Georgetown's station 27; his mother, Grace, an artist; and a sister, Aja Collins, a former Army linguist who now lives in South Korea where her husband, also an Army linguist, serves.

Since receiving the news, Washington said his family has been embraced by an overwhelming response.

"It is amazing how many people care. I just want to say thank you, from Michael and Grace, to all the brothers and sisters in the Seattle Fire Department and all the citizens. Michael touched a lot of lives," he said.

Marine Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington was killed in action on 6/14/08.

From The Seattle post Intellinger seattlepi.com 06/25/08

Funeral for local Marine killed in Afghanistan
Posted on June 26, 2008 | By mike_barber

Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, son of Seattle firefighter and former Marine Michael Washington, will be buried at Tahoma National Cemetery near Kent.

The public is invited to pay respects at the services, which are to begin at 10 a.m. Friday in Federal Way at Northwest Church, 34800 21st Ave. S.W., his family said.

Graveside services are slated to begin around 1:15 p.m. at the cemetery at 18600 S.E. 240th St., Kent, followed by a reception at the church.

Condolences may be sent to The Washington Family, P.O. Box 24552, Federal Way, WA 98093.

Gov. Gregoire orders flags flown at half-staff Monday - Flag lowering honors fallen Marine from Tacoma

For Immediate Release: June 20, 2008

OLYMPIA ? Gov. Chris Gregoire has directed that flags at all Washington state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff Monday, June 23, in memory of U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington of Tacoma, who was killed in action in Afghanistan June 14.

First Gentleman Mike Gregoire will attend the June 27 funeral service for Sgt. Washington.

Flags should remain at half-staff until sunset Monday or first thing Tuesday morning, June 24.

Last year, Congress amended the U.S. Flag Code to give governors the authority to lower flags when a state resident in the military is killed in the line of duty. Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join in this recognition.

From Marine Corps Times marinecorpstimes.com 06/17/08:

2/7 Marines killed in Afghanistan identified
Jun. 17, 2008 - 06:50PM

Military officials identified Tuesday the first four casualties for 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, since the unit deployed to Afghanistan as part of a temporary troop surge.

The Marines, all based at Twentynine Palms, Calif., were:

* Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, 20, of Tacoma, Wash.

* Lance Cpl. Layton Bradly Crass, 22, of Richmond, Ind.

* Pfc. Dawid Pietrek, 24, of Bensenville, Ill.

* Pfc. Michael Robert Patton, 19, of Fenton, Mo.

The Marines died when a military vehicle was hit Saturday in Farah province by a roadside bomb, officials told The Associated Press. A fifth Marine was also wounded in the attack, according to the AP. His condition was unknown on Tuesday.

Marines from 2/7 arrived in Afghanistan earlier this year and were sent to southern and western Afghanistan to train police. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit was also sent to Afghanistan as a part of the surge and has been operating in southern Afghanistan.

The bombing came one day after Defense Secretary Robert Gates told his counterparts in Europe that for the first time, the monthly total of American and allied combat deaths in Afghanistan exceeded the toll in Iraq during May.

The four deaths bring to at least 44 the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan this year, according to an Associated Press count. No more than two U.S. personnel had been killed in any one attack in Afghanistan this year, according to the AP tally.