Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Timothy Randy Vanorman, age 24, from Port Matilda, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Service era: Iraq – Operation Iraqi Freedom
Military history: Company A, 2d Battalion, 22d Infantry, 1 Bct, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, Ny
Date of death: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Death details: Hostile, died in Balad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Michael Eugene Koch, age 29, from State College, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Service era: Iraq – Operation Iraqi Freedom
School: Penn State University
Parent: Mother Jean
Military history: Tac D&E Sqdn Thr
Date of death: Monday, February 4, 2008
Death details: Hostile, died in Balad, Iraq
Cemetery: Arlington National
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times, findagrave.com
David Allen Jr Cooper, age 36, from State College, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Service era: Iraq – Operation Iraqi Freedom
Military history: Company B, 2d Battalion, 23d Infantry, Fort Lewis, Wa
Date of death: Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Death details: Baghdad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Brett Michael Hershey, age 23, from State College, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Service era: Iraq – Operation Enduring Freedom
Military history: Hhc, 76th Infantry Brigade, (24th Infantry Division), Indianapolis, Indiana
Date of death: Saturday, March 26, 2005
Death details: Killed when a mine detonated near his vehicle in Kabul, Afghanistan
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Craig Steven Ivory, age 26, from Port Matilda, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Service era: Iraq – Operation Iraqi Freedom
Military history: 501st Combat Support Company (Forward), Apo Ae 09168
Date of death: Sunday, August 17, 2003
Death details: Died of a non-combat related cause in Homberg University Hospital, Germany. He was medically evacuated from Kuwait on August 12, 2003.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Theodore Mattatw Ropchock, age 20, from Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Parents: Matthew Ropchock
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: West Branch Area High graduate
Military history: 1st Cavalry Division
Date of death: Saturday, March 7, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in South Vietnam.
Source: National Archives, Clearfield Progess (1970)
David John Eckenrode, age 22, from State College, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Parents: Donald and Bernice (Pierson) Eckenrode.
Spouse: Married
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Bellefonte High, 1963; University of Virginia, 1967.
Military history: 2nd lieutenant, Marines. Enlisted in 1966. Tour started April 23, 1968.
Date of death: Sunday, July 21, 1968
Death details: Hostile, killed in South Vietnam. Body not recovered.
Cemetery: Centre County Memorial
Source: Altoona Mirror, National Archives, Department of Defense, grave marker
Lewis Philip II Smith, age 25, from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Penn State University (1964)
Military history: Major, Air Force. Started tour May 30, 1968.
Date of death: May 30, 1968
Death details: Major Lewis Philip Smith II, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Pennsylvania, was a member of the 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron. On May 30, 1968, he was the pilot of a single-seat O-2A Skymaster (tail number 67-21405, call sign “Covey 535”) on a forward air controller mission east of Chavane, Laos. During the mission, Maj Smith located suitable targets for an air strike, and radioed a request for armed aircraft to join him. The aircraft were dispatched; however, Maj Smith failed to meet them for a scheduled rendezvous. Searches for Maj Smith were immediately launched, but were unable to locate him or his aircraft. Further attempts to locate him or his remains following the end of hostilities were unsuccessful. Today, Major Smith is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: Altoona Mirror, National Archives, Department of Defense.
Charles F. Thornton, age 25, from State College, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, November 12, 1962
Death details: Died on Island of Guam
Cemetery: Centre County Memorial Park
Source: Grave marker, findagrave.com
John Richard Rose, age 22, from Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Parents: Peter Rose and Nancy G. Rose
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Saturday, September 16, 1944
Death details: Died missing in the South Pacific
Cemetery: St. John’s, Bellefonte
Source: National Archives, grave marker