Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Joseph A. VanDreumel, age 32, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade Grafenwoehr, Germany.
Date of death: Sunday, August 14, 2011
Death details: Died in Pakitka Province, Afghanistan while conducting vehicle recover operations and encountered a secondary explosion while dismounted. Sgt. Matthew A. Harmon was also killed.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Christopher Glenn Smith, age 28, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.
Parents: Virgil Glenn and Donna Smith
Spouse: Bobbi Jo Smith
Children: Adler, 1
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company B, 3D Battalion, 16Th Field Artillery, Fort Carson, Co
Date of death: Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Death details: Died from injuried sustained when his vehicle rolled over in Baghdad, Iraq. Spc. Stephen M. Okray also died.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Shawn Douglas Gajdos, age 25, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company D, 2D Battalion, 16Th Infantry, 4 Bct, Fort Riley, Kansas
Date of death: Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Death details: Hostile; Baghdad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Brandon L Stout, age 23, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 46Th Military Police Company, Kingsford, Mi
Date of death: Monday, January 22, 2007
Death details: Hostile; Baghdad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Chad Joseph Vollmer, age 24, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company E, 1St Bn, 125Th Infantry Rgmt (Mech), 46Th Infantry Bde, 38Th Infantry Div, Iii Corps
Date of death: Saturday, December 23, 2006
Death details: Hostile; Salman Pak, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Alkaila Tonee Floyd, age 23, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company C, 54Th Engineer Battalion, Bamberg, Germany
Date of death: Thursday, July 13, 2006
Death details: Hostile; Landstuhl, Germany
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Brock Lyle Bucklin, age 28, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hhc, 1St Battalion, 68Th Armor, Fort Carson, Colorado
Date of death: Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Death details: Balad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Gregory John Fester, age 41, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 351St Civil Affairs Battalion, Fort Bragg, Nc
Date of death: Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Death details: Hostile; Al Iskandariyah, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Glen D. Jones, age 21, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.
Service era: Gulf War
Date of death: Monday, February 25, 1991
Death details: Killed by SCUD missle attack.
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, Gulf War Chronicles
Kenneth Welch, age 33, from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Service era: Beirut bombings
Parent: Betty
Date of death: Thursday, September 20, 1984
Death details: Among 23 people killed when two terrorists in a van loaded with explosives drove past concrete barriers and through a barrage of gunfire at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, kennethwelch.com, UPI (1984)