Articles 4.25.2005

The Nashua Telegraph, NH, and the New Hampshire Union-Leader report on the wake for Sgt Angelo Lozada Jr., of the 2-17th Field Artillery, who was killed in Ramadi on 4.16.2005. Sgt Lozada's older brother, a pastor in New York City, led prayers for the more than 100 family and friends at the service. He had lived in Nashua while serving in the New Hampshire National Guard, prior to enlisting in the regular Army in 2000. He worked at serveral jobs in the city, including "taking care of handicapped people". He was remembered for his sense of humor and love for his family. Visitation continues today, and Sgt Lozada will be buried on Tuesday, 4.26.2005, at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery.
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The Charlotte Observer has an article on a fundraising drive for families of fallen soldiers that was initiated by an e-mail from a 2nd BCT soldier. 1st LT Charles Waldron, of the 44th Engineers, sent an e-mail to some friends and fellow alumns of Davidson College, describing the deaths on 3.7.2005 of two of his fellow soldiers, Sgt Andrew Bossert and Pfc Michael Franklin, when a bomb exploded near their position. His friends have since began a fundraising campaign amongst the Davidson crowd, including fraternities and sororities, to raise $11,000 for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, "a New York-based nonprofit charity for surviving family of soldiers killed in combat". The article mentions that in Iraq 1LT Waldron is "in charge of placement and planning of barriers and other engineering tasks at forward firing bases known as mayor cells" and has a "field title of mayor of Camp Corregidor."
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The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports that judges are reviewing appeals in the on-going custody battle over the rights of the body of Staff Sgt Jason Hendrix, of the 1-9th, who was killed in Ramadi on 2.16.2005 and buried in Oklahoma on 4.2.2005. SSG Henrdrix's parents are divorced, and no will was ever found. The courts eventually upheld the U.S. Army policy of awarding custody to the eldest parent, SSG Hendrix's father. According to his mother's attorney, the objective of the appeal process is to "create some sort of legal road map for anybody so they don’t have to go through what Mrs. Amick has gone through."
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The NY Times (reg req'd) has a long, critical article on Marines speaking out about their experiences in Ramadi prior to the arrival of the 2nd BCT in August 2004, with specific emphasis on a lack of vehicle armor and a shortage of men. The Marine unit, E Company of 2/4 Marines (who suffered a large, deadly ambush in April, 2004, which was featured in a Philadephia Inquirer (reg req'd) multi-part story, inherited equipment and duties from the Florida National Guard. Lt. Col. Paul J. Kennedy, the 2/4 Marines Commander, said that "Ramadi had been quiet under the National Guard, but the Marines had orders to root out an insurgency that was using the provincial capital as a way station to Falluja and Baghdad." Several Marines from the unit are quoted in the article.
Other anecdotes from the article:
- "13 of the 21 men who were killed had been riding in Humvees that failed to deflect bullets or bombs."
- "The unit had less than half the troops who are now doing its job in Ramadi."
- During their tour, they endured "26 firefights, 90 mortar attacks and more than 90 homemade bombs."
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Other articles from the region:
- Newsweek: Iraq's Shiites patiently consolidate their power
- NY Times (reg req'd): In Iraq, a Tug of War Over the Truth
- Associated Press: Allawi Party Not Part of New Iraq Cabinet
- Associated Press: Iraqis Try Again to Form New Government
- AFP: Iraqi president rules out Islamic regime in his country