Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Sterling W. Wyatt, age 21, from Columbia, Missouri, Boone county.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Date of death: Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Death details: Died in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when his vehicle was attacked with an enemy improvised explosive device.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Charles M. Sadell, age 34, from Columbia, Missouri, Boone county. Their last known residence was in Weston, Missouri.
Parents: Jane Curry
Spouse: Kristin Dawn Sadell (McMillan); married Aug. 21, 1999
Children: Cameron Sadell and Hunter Sadell
Service era: Afghanistan
Schools: Harrisburg, Missouri High (1995)
Military history: 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York. Bronze Star.
Date of death: Sunday, October 24, 2010
Death details: Died at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland of wounds suffered Oct. 5, 2010 at Arif Kala, Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Source: Department of Defense, Kansas City Star, Military Times
Jason D. Fingar, age 24, from Columbia, Missouri, Boone county.
Parents: David Fingar and Rhonda Fingar
Spouse: None
Children: None
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Date of death: Saturday, May 22, 2010
Death details: Died in Dural, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when his military vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
Cemetery: Memorial Park
Source: Department of Defense, Columbia Missourian, Military Times
Steven John Fitzmorris, age 26, from Columbia, Missouri, Boone county.
Parents: Rosemarie Fitzmorris Currier
Spouse: Samantha Jo Baker
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company A, 3D Battalion, 29Th Field Artillery, 3 Bct, Fort Carson, Co
Date of death: Monday, August 25, 2008
Death details: Hostile; Baghdad, Iraq
Cemetery: Memorial Park Cemetery
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Michael Ray Martinez, age 43, from Columbia, Missouri, Boone county.
Spouse: Kelly Martinez
Children: 3 sons and two stepdaughters;Cassidy Martinez, 7; Douglas, 3
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hht, 3D Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Co
Date of death: Saturday, January 7, 2006
Death details: Died when his helicopter crashed; Zambar Mountain, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
William Anthony Edens, age 29, from Columbia, Missouri, Boone county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company A, 1St Bn, 5Th Infantry, 1St Bct, 25Th Id(Mnb-Nw), Fort Lewis, Washington
Date of death: Thursday, April 28, 2005
Death details: Hostile; Tal Afar, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Melvin Yamil Mora, age 27, from Columbia, Missouri, Boone county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 245Th Combat Support Co, 89Th Regional Readiness Cmd, St. Louis, Missouri
Date of death: Sunday, June 6, 2004
Death details: Hostile; Baghdad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Terry Lee Dean, age 21, from Columbia, Missouri, Boone county.
Parents: Theo M. Dean
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, September 21, 1970
Death details: Hostile in South Vietnam.
Source: National Archives, Fort Worth Star Telegram (1970)
Birch Udell Stemmons, age 21, from Columbia, Missouri, Boone county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, June 10, 1970
Death details: Hostile in South Vietnam.
Source: National Archives
Rodney Lynn Griffin, age 21, from Centralia, Missouri, Boone county.
Parents: George W. Griffin
Spouse: Donna (Nelson)
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 2nd Battalion, 24th Armor, 25th Infantry Division
Date of death: Saturday, May 2, 1970
Death details: On January 27, 2015, the Department of Defense announced it had identified the remains of Sergeant Rodney Lynn Griffin, missing from the Vietnam War. Sergeant Griffin, who entered the U.S. Army from Missouri, served with the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. On May 2, 1970, he was a passenger aboard a UH-1H Iroquois (serial number unknown) that carried eight in total and flying to Fire Support Base Katum, South Vietnam. At some point, the helicopter was diverted due to bad weather. It flew into Cambodian air space where it was hit by enemy ground fire. The pilot made an emergency landing in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. The four crew members and four passengers survived the crash landing, but three, including SGT Griffin, died in a firefight with enemy soldiers that occurred after the landing. One U.S. soldier escaped, but the rest were taken as prisoners of war. The bodies of the three men killed in the firefight were not recovered until February 2012, when a Joint U.S./Cambodian team located the crash site and recovered human remains, and forensic analysis identified SGT Griffin among the remains recovered from the site.
Source: National Archives, Moberly Monitor Index (1970), Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency