Tonight we honor the memories of three Guardsmen and a Green Beret – all killed in action in Afghanistan last week. Making the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country was completely in character for these men who all had dedicated their lives to service at an early age. Sgt. 1st Class Joseph A. McKay, 51, of Brooklyn, NY, was born on the 4th of July. He joined the New York Army National Guard more than 30 years ago, had also served in Iraq and had guarded Grand Central and Penn Station in the days following 9/11. Sgt. 1st Class Matthew L. Hilton, 37, of Livonia, MI, had been a reservist for 18 years and served in Iraq prior to volunteering for his most recent mission to Afghanistan. Spc. Mark C. Palmateer, 38, of Poughkeepsie, NY wanted to serve his country all his life and his daughter recalled he would do anything for anybody. Staff Sgt. Travis K. Hunsberger of Goshen Indiana, may have only been 24, but had accomplished much in that time – excelling as a Green Beret on his second tour in Afghanistan. Please join me beyond the fold to celebrate their lives and mourn their loss.
From the DoD:
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died from wounds suffered June 26 near Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, when their convoy encountered improvised explosive devices, small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
Killed were:
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew L. Hilton, 37, of Livonia, Mich., who was assigned to the 425th Infantry Regiment, Michigan Army National Guard, Selfridge, Mich.
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph A. McKay, 51, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition), New York Army National Guard, Jamestown, N.Y.
Spc. Mark C. Palmateer, 38, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition), New York Army National Guard, Jamestown, N.Y.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew L. Hilton, 37, of Livonia, Mich.
Sgt. Hilton had been a reservist with the Michigan National Guard for 18 years and served in Iraq in 2005. In January he volunteered for a mission in Afghanistan. He also served Lathrup Village as a police officer. He was married to Mary, who is also in the National Guard and had just returned from a tour in Iraq this past May, and he was a loving father to two stepchildren.
According to the Lansing State Journal, his stepmother, Sharon Hilton, said she and Sgt. Hilton’s father Leon were notified in person of his death last Friday.
"It's unbelievable. It's just too hard right now." She called her stepson "a great man" and "a good father" to his two stepchildren. "He enjoyed life, but he was very serious about doing what he could for his country," she said. "I couldn't have asked for a better son if I'd given birth to him."
According to WILX there’s a sticker that reads "Proud National Guard Parent" on the mailbox of Sgt. Hilton’s childhood home, where neighbors reflected on his loss:
"I feel terrible, I can't imagine what they're going through," Betty Cumberworth said. She lives just down the road from Hilton's parents. She says she's still in disbelief of what happened to such a nice family. "I absolutely can't believe what's happened to them, my heart bleeds for them, they're wonderful people, they're wonderful neighbors," Cumberworth said. ..snip.. "You always think it's going to happen to someone else, it's going to happen far away, it's not going to come home to you. I'm very sorry for them, I'm very very sorry," Cumberworth said.
I’ll close with this comment left on the WILX website:
I knew Matt and had the honor of working with him for almost 4 years in Lathrup. He will be missed very much by those who knew him. God Bless you Matt
Sgt. Matthew L. Hilton – may you rest in eternal peace. Your final mission is complete.Sgt. 1st Class Joseph A. McKay, 51, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Where to begin to honor Sgt. 1st Class McKay? Perhaps with this recollection by his sister-in law as quoted in The New York Post:
McKay's sister-in-law, Diana Coleman, said, "He was one of a kind, a real gentle person. When he was at Fort Hamilton, he would take leftover Army food out to the homeless in Brooklyn."
And this is what she told the New York Daily News:
Coleman said her brother-in-law would give his Army meals to homeless people in the rail stations, prompting one homeless man to send him a Christmas card. "It was truly heartrending," Coleman said.
Sgt. 1st Class McKay had a best friend named Newton Baptiste, who was also interviewed by the Post. He recalled how Sgt. McKay would jokingly say that everybody in the country celebrated his birthday for he was born on the 4th of July. McKay "used to laugh and say, 'Everyone celebrates my birthday in this country,' " said Newton Baptiste, his best friend.
But the 30-year veteran of the National Guard struck a serious tone when he spoke to Baptiste for the final time on Wednesday. "He told me, 'They're sending me into a real terrible area,' " Baptiste said.
And his dear friend added in an interview with the New York Daily News:
"I told him, 'Try to get back home. Don't be a hero,' " said McKay's best friend, Newton Baptiste, 58. Baptiste said his buddy loved celebrating his birthday on Independence Day.
Sgt. McKay was married with a daughter and two sons and was due home on leave in a few weeks. He had served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 and was awarded the New York State Defense of Liberty Medal, which was given to Guard members for service in New York City following the 9/11 attacks.
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph A. McKay – may you rest in eternal peace. Your final mission is complete.Spc. Mark C. Palmateer, 38, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
According to The Daily Freeman, Spc. Palmateer "was a kind-hearted man who had a lifelong desire to serve his country, a desire which was heightened in the aftermath of 9/11.
He leaves behind his father, his daughter and 8 siblings.
Spc. Palmateer's only daughter, Stephanie, 19, told the Daily News that the kids in the neighborhood called her father "Uncle Mark."
"There were so many people that loved him," she said. "He made friends everywhere he went. He was really outgoing. He would do anything for anybody." "I want to thank the troops 100%, and I support them," Stephanie Palmateer said.
According to The Daily Freeman, Spc. Palmateer was remembered Sunday by his family as an affable man and patriot.
He was very popular, said his father, Charles, of Wappinger Falls. "When we had his going away party more than 200 people came." "Anyone who met him instantly became his friend," said Gary Palmateer, one of Mark Palmateer's eight siblings. "He was just a likable guy." Charles Palmateer said his son had always wanted to join the military. He decided to join the Army National Guard after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center and enlisted in August 2003, just before his 35th birthday. "He wanted to serve his country all his life, he always wanted to serve his country," said Charles Palmateer.
The adjutant general of New York and commander of the New York National Guard issued this statement:
"Once again, the members of the New York Army National Guard are mourning the loss of brave soldiers who died defending their country and trying to help the people of Afghanistan," said Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto, the adjutant general of New York and commander of the New York National Guard, in the press release. "We will mourn with their families and do everything within our power to help them."
He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge. He was previously awarded the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal the National Defense Service Medal and the New York State Aid to Civil Authorities.
Spc. Mark Palmateer – may you rest in eternal peace. Your final mission is complete.Staff Sgt. Travis K. Hunsberger, 24 of Goshen, Ind.
From the DoD:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sgt. Travis K. Hunsberger, 24, of Goshen, Ind., died on June 27 of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device while on combat patrol near Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
Staff Sgt. Hunsberger was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. From the time he enlisted in the Army he set his sights on becoming a Green Beret, and that he did. At the time of his death he was an Special Forces communications technician. WSBT interviewed his parents, Steve and Rhonda over the weekend:
Steve and Ronda Hunsberger say there are so many ways to describe their son Travis. But a picture may put it best. "People always knew Travis had a grin, always had a plan," said Steve Hunsberger. A plan that always included a challenge. In 2003, after two years at Ball State University, Travis decided to enlist in the Army. "He went in it with an intent to be a Green Beret," said Steve Hunsberger. "He found his calling in the Army. I truly believe that. I truly believe that was his heart. He was so happy," said Ronda Hunsberger.
Staff Sgt. Hunsberger also leaves behind his younger siblings Kyle and Kelsey, and his wife, Hannah. From The Truth Newspaper of Elkhart County:
One of Steve Hunsberger's favorite memories of Travis was when he and his wife, Hannah, invited his parents to Fort Braggm N.C., around Christmas 2007 to witness a re-enactment of their wedding. Travis and Hannah had a small private wedding before his first deployment, about a year and a half ago, but wanted to share that moment with their families when he returned. "It was a special, special ceremony," Steve said.
And to give you a sense of his determination and character:
He had already been injured twice before his second deployment, but he was determined to be a part of the Green Berets. "I told him, 'If you love it, you've got to stick it out,'" she said. Before his last deployment, Steve said, Travis had the choice of being on an "A team" or a "B team." Friends on the B team wanted him back with them, but he followed his heart to the A team, which worked in a "more dangerous realm," Steve said. "We knew and he knew the risks were greater in that deployment," he said. But the community is still in shock after learning of Travis' death. "I don't know if I can put into words what he means to the community," said Brad Duerksen, Travis' soccer coach at Northwood High School for all four years. "It's difficult to believe he's gone." Travis, a "genuinely good young man," always had a smile on his face, Duerksen said, and could've done anything he wanted -- and he did. "No one was surprised when he joined the military," Duerksen said. "He was a very self-sacrificing kind of man."
Staff Sgt. Travis K. Hunsberger – may you rest in eternal peace. Your final mission is complete. REMEMBER THEM WELL Remember our troops: those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, those who are still in harm’s way and those who have returned home:
In Remembrance
Please take a moment to honor the memories of our fallen service men and women who have passed through this world much too quickly. You can view the stories and remembrances of these heroes at sites such as Iraq Veterans Memorial and Honor the Fallen.
Supporting the Troops If you haven’t had a chance to put together a care package for a unit in Iraq or Afghanistan - it’s such a good feeling to know you are sending our troops things they really need. I’m not talking about the comforts of home – it’s necessities like socks and underwear and soup packets and feminine hygiene products and paper and pens...and school supplies, treats and trinkets they can pass out to the Iraqi and Afghan children. Basic things that they are so thrilled to receive. There are a few ways to do this. You can go through troopcarepackage.com or anysoldier.com. If you go to the anysolider site click on WhereToSend for a searchable database. For example if you search "By Latest Email" you’ll see the troops who most recently have submitted a request for specific items. You then request their mailing address. Operation Helmet is another great organization whose mission is to provide helmet upgrades.
Supporting Our Veterans We have a solemn duty to ensure that our veterans are properly cared for. Consider visiting sites such as StandUp4Vets.org, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Welcome Back Veterans.org and Fisher House to see where your help is needed. Other ways to help can be found in this diary.
And please click here to support Netroots for the Troops:
The Department of Defense has confirmed 4.113 deaths, according to Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. 541 American troops have died in Afghanistan since 2001.
About the IGTNT series:
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.