IGTNT: "The Most Loyal Person I Knew"

For the second month in a row, CNN reports that US and coalition deaths in Afghanistan have surpassed those in Iraq. Tonight we honor the memories of three soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey M. Radamorales, Master Sgt. Shawn E. Simmons, and Sgt. James M. Treber, who died in a non-combat related vehicle accident in Afghanistan, and a marine, Staff Sgt. Edgar A. Heredia, who was killed while supporting combat operations in Farah Province in Afghanistan.

Please follow me below the fold to learn more about these four men who sacrificed their lives for this country.

On Sunday, the Department of Defense made the following announcement:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died June 29 in Khosrow-E Sofla, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained when their vehicle rolled into a canal. They were assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

Killed were:

Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey M. Radamorales, 32, of Naranjito, Puerto Rico.

Master Sgt. Shawn E. Simmons, 39, of Ashland, Mass.

Sgt. James M. Treber, 24, of Imperial Beach, Calif.

The incident is under investigation.

Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey M. Radamorales is a native of Naranjito in Puerto Rico. His military biography indicates that joined the Army in April of 1995 as an animal care specialist. After serving as a veterinary care technician at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, he served at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and the Aberdeeen Proving Grounds. He returned to Fort Bragg as an animal care instructor and then trained as a Special Forces medical sergeant. He earned his Green Beret in 2007.

Sgt. Radamorales was a heavily decorated soldier. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, three Amry Commendation Medals, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal. He was on his second deployment in Afghanistan at the time of his death. Jeffrey Radamorales is survived by his wife, Amanda, his daughter, Jessica, and his stepson, Andrew, all of whom live in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He is also survived by his mother, Virginia Morales, who lives in Dorado, Puerto Rico.

Master Sgt. Shawn E. Simmons hails from Ashland, Massachusetts. He joined the Army in 1992, initially serving as a power generation equipment repairer at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He earned his Green Beret in 1999. His military biography indicates that he had received a variety of advanced training including the Advanced Noncomissioned Officer Course, the Ranger Course, the Resistance and Escape Course, and training as a parachutist.

Master Sgt. Simmons also received many awards and decorations during his military career including the Meritorious Service Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, and three Army Achievement Medals. He was also on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan at the time of his death.

Simmons leaves behind a family in Hope Mills, North Carolina that includes his wife, Tricia, his daughter, Erin, and his son, Justin. He is also survived by his mother, Alberta Simmons, who lives in Tallahassee, Florida.

Sgt. James M. Treber is a native of San Diego. His Special Forces biography notes that he joined the Army in November of 2005 as a Special Forces candidate. He earned his Green Beret in 2007. He was assigned to to Fort Bragg as a weapons seageant.

Sgt. Treber was deloyed to Afghanistan in May of 2008. He was on his first tour of duty in the Middle East at the time of his death. His military education included the Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course, the Warrior Leaders Course, and the Survival Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Course. He was also awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and a several other decorations.

James Treber leaves behind a wife, Tamila, of Aberdeen, North Carolina. He is also survived by his father, Gordon Treber of Astoria, OR, his mother, Laurie Treber of Mohave, AZ, and his brother, Gordon Treber, Jr., of National City, CA.

The governor of California issued the following statement on learning of Treber's death:

Sergeant James Treber was a courageous patriot who sacrificed his life to defend our nation's freedom.  James' commitment to his fellow soldiers is an inspiration to all Americans and his service will always be remembered.  Maria and I offer our prayers and condolences to James' family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one.

The flags at the California Capitol will be flown at half-mast in his honor.

On Monday, the Department of Defense issues the following statement:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Edgar A. Heredia, 28, of Houston died June 26 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.

KTRE provides the following information on Staff Sgt. Heredia's military Service:

Heredia joined the Marine Corps on July 20, 1998 and was trained as a Reconnaissance Man. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant on January 1 2007, joining 2nd MSOB on January 8, 2007. His decorations include the Purple Heart Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, a Combat Action Ribbon, a Navy Unit Commendation, a Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, three Marine Corps Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Assistance Service medal and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Heredia was the son of Mexican immigrants and that he wanted to give back to the country that had given so much to his family. During his time in the Marines, Edgar Heredia had also served a tour of duty in Iraq. He joined the Marine Corps after gradating from Taylor High School in 1998, and he had planned to make the Marines his career. His brother, Sam Heredia, noted that during his time in the Marines Staff Sgt. Heredia had worked in reconnaissance, as a sniper, and, most recently, as a reconnaissance team leader.

Sam described his brother Edgar this way:

He was the most loyal person I knew, and his priority was backing up his friends. Even though he's my little brother, I looked up to him.

In addition to his brother, Staff Sgt. Heredia is survived by his father, Alejandro Heredia.

May these four men rest in eternal peace and may we never forget their sacrifices for our country. Their lives mattered. I look forward to the day when we can end this diary series.

About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT)
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.

The series was begun by i dunno and is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, MsWings, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, moneysmith, labwitchy, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, AGirlinMI, JeNoCo, and mediaprof.

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.