Army Spc. Jared C. Plunk
Jared Plunk had a passion for shooting guns by the time he was elementary-age, according to his grandmother, Nelmalee Plunk. As a young boy, he got his hands on her pellet gun and took aim, sending glass pellets flying toward a door with a whack.
"He came in the house and he said 'Granny, I was shooting at the bricks, I wasn't shooting at the door,'" she said.
She described him as "a pretty smart kid" who was hardworking, did some farming and enjoyed life.
Plunk, 27, of Stillwater, Okla., died June 25 at Konar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.
Plunk grew up in the Oklahoma Panhandle town of Turpin. He played football and graduated from high school there before taking classes at Oklahoma State University, though he left to join the military.
Survivors include his wife, Lindsay, and two sons, 5-year-old Noah and baby Kason.
He also had two brothers, two sisters and a stepfather.
He was to be buried next to his father in Liberal, Kan.
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Marine Sgt. John K. Rankel
John Rankel enjoyed reading about people who stood their ground against the odds, and he had a passion for the pursuit of excellence, on the field and in the field.
At Speedway High School in Speedway, Ind., he played football, basketball and baseball. He graduated in 2005 and joined the Marines that year.
"He was a quiet leader for us, not a rah-rah guy," Speedway football coach Denny Pelley said. "There was nothing false about him at all."
The military made Rankel stronger, more passionate and more caring, said Ryan Smith, a friend.
The 23-year-old Rankel, known as "Johnny," died June 7 after reportedly being hit by enemy fire in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton and had served twice in Iraq.
"He was just a big kid," said his girlfriend, Lindsay Raikes, who met him after peer-editing school essays about the traits of a perfect match. Once, she said, he sang Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" to her at a karaoke party.
Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Don and Trisha Stockhoff; his father and stepmother, Kevin and Kim Rankel; and two brothers, Nathan Stockhoff and Tyler Rankel.
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Army Spc. Blaine E. Redding
Blaine Redding and his love, Nikki, planned to marry when he returned from Afghanistan, but he switched things up and insisted on a wedding before he left.
"I think he had a gut feeling, and I just didn't know," she said.
They married March 13, and he was killed June 7 by a roadside bomb in Konar.
The 22-year-old from Plattsmouth, Neb., struggled in high school but earned his GED before coming into his own in the Army, his brother said. Redding was assigned to Fort Campbell and had served in Iraq.
This time, he was stationed less than an hour from his younger brother, Pvt. Logan Redding.
"Blaine was always the leader, and Logan was always Blaine's crash test dummy," said their mother, Theresa Redding.
Blaine Redding left his brother his other love, a blue Subaru he named Trixie.
It fit his laid-back but adventurous style. He was a casual dresser — his family requested people wear flip-flops to honor his memory — who enjoyed video games, had a habit of leaving behind chewed gum and made a game of tossing his wife's small dog with his brother.
He was a "priceless personality," his mother said.
Other survivors include his father, also named Blaine.
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Army Pfc. Robert Repkie
Robert Repkie's dad wanted him to get a college education before he joined the military. But the young man dreamed of leading and wanted to pay his dues.
"Dad, how can I command troops if I don't know what they went through?" Repkie told his father, Russell Repkie.
Robert Repkie was remembered as a happy, intelligent and funny person who joined the Army to continue his family's history of military service. He primarily worked as a cook while on his deployment to Afghanistan, but he also had been trained as a gunner and sometimes went out on missions in the turret.
The 20-year-old from Sweetwater, Tenn., died June 24 at Forward Operating Base Farah in an incident unrelated to combat. The military is investigating. Repkie was assigned to Fort Bragg.
The soldier's stepsister, Letiscia Loepp, said the two were close and considered themselves biological siblings.
Repkie also made sure to keep in touch with teachers and counselors back at Sweetwater High School. Staff at the school said Repkie would send them Facebook messages and call them from Afghanistan before class started.
"It's our job to make a difference in a child's life," said principal David Watts. "But he made a difference in my life."
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Marine Lance Cpl. William T. Richards
William Richards — who preferred his middle name, Taylor — was a long-haired kid who could pluck a mean banjo in high school.
"His music was just a big part of his life," said Linda Wilson, who taught Richards in 10th grade. She said he had shoulder-length hair as a teen but shaved it during his senior year as he prepared to join the Marines.
Richards, 20, of Trenton, Ga., died June 26 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune and graduated from Dade County High School in 2008.
The Marine's family said in a statement that Richards was a dedicated father to his 9-month-old daughter, Kayden Leigh. He was married to his high school sweetheart, Emily.
Chuck Carver, who ran a youth ministry that Richards was a part of in high school, said the teen had a clearer vision than most of what he wanted from life. He often asked Carver for advice about life and marriage, and knew the dangers of joining the Marines.
"I know Mr. Carver. That's what I'm destined to be," Carver recalled the teen telling him.
Richards also is survived by his mother and father.
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Army Sgt. Mario Rodriguez
Mario Rodriguez was a leader who helped keep high school teammates in line and fought to keep his units secure when he was serving overseas, friends said.
He played linebacker on the football team at Smithville High School and enjoyed going to Friday night games when he was home on leave.
"He was always there for people," classmate Britni Fleming said. "He was extremely close to his friends. He was a shoulder to cry on, there when you needed him."
Rodriguez, 24, of Smithville, Texas, died June 11 in Powrak, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit. He was assigned to Fort Bragg.
Rodriguez joined the National Guard in 2003 and had served in Kosovo and Iraq.
"He knew what his job was, and it didn't scare him," said Rosalva Rodriguez, one of his four sisters. "He was always worried about others being safe."
His wife, Leslie, said their 7-year-old daughter, Raven, was the apple of his eye.
"He was going to teach her how to play soccer," she said. "He always told her that he loved her big head."
Rodriguez also is survived by his parents and two brothers.
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Army Sgt. John M. Rogers
John Rogers entered the military with his sights set on eventually becoming a police officer. But his plans soon changed.
The 26-year-old grew to see his fellow military members as his "brothers" and planned to make the military his career, said Rogers' sister Kayla Reynolds, who also enlisted in the Army.
"Eventually he learned to really love it," said his wife, Zuleika F. Rogers.
Rogers, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died June 27 in an incident not related to combat at Forward Operating Base Blessing, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.
"He was very distinguished, very decorated," Reynolds said. "He was really getting there. He loved what he did. He was the most amazing person I ever met. ... He had the ability to make anybody laugh, even when they were in the middle of crying."
Rogers, of Scottsdale, Ariz., attended North Canyon High School in Phoenix and met his wife at a local Starbucks, where she worked.
"He was a customer there who eventually asked me out on a date," she said.
Rogers enlisted in the Army in June 2004.
His survivors include his wife; father, John H. Rogers of Kansas City, Mo.; sisters Sally and Kayla; and brother Jimmy.
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Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy G. Serwinowski
Tim Serwinowski stood out among students at his high school, and not just because of his 6-foot-2-inch frame.
Teachers called the North Tonawanda, N.Y., native a quiet leader with a disarming sense of humor that made him a role model to his peers.
During his 2007 senior year at North Tonawanda High School, his football coaches honored him for excellence and leadership after the team won the league's North Division Championship.
"I can still hear myself saying, 'Be more like Tim,' to the other kids in the class," said Greg Woytila, who taught Serwinowski as a third-grader.
Serwinowski, 21, joined the Marines a year after high school and was deployed to Afghanistan in December. He was killed in a June 21 sniper attack in Helmand province. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune.
Survivors include his parents, Sally Urban and Phillip Serwinowski, and several siblings.
Several people have left remembrances and notes of condolences on a Facebook page for Serwinowski. Among them is a note from his cousin, Christen Giles-Suarez: "timmy i love you and like my last words were to you, im proud of you and im still proud."
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Marine Sgt. Derek L. Shanfield
Like his brothers, 22-year-old Sgt. Derek Shanfield was a Marine. But for him, the Marines was his calling.
"He was truly amazing," said his older brother, Sgt. Sydney Shanfield. "He rose up through the ranks very high in a very short time. He was basically a picture of perfection when it comes to being a Marine."
That comes as no surprise to Tim Laurito, Derek Shanfield's high school principal. Shanfield, of Hastings, Pa., stood out as a leader at Cambria Heights High School, Laurito said. He had the grades and aptitude to do whatever he wanted and graduated in 2006 near the top of his class, he said.
As a Marine squad leader, Shanfield went to Afghanistan ahead of his unit. He had been there only two weeks when he was killed during an attack. It happened on his first day on patrol, June 8.
"He felt very strongly about what he was doing — very strongly about the cause — and paid the ultimate price for his country," Laurito said.
Shanfield was assigned to Camp Lejeune, where his twin brother, Cpl. Devin Shanfield, serves in a different unit.
Survivors also include his parents, David and Pamela Shanfield, and sisters, Jessica and Allison Shanfield.
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Army Staff Sgt. Eric B. Shaw
Eric Shaw was so passionate about history that he decided on a career as a history teacher.
He enrolled at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, graduating in 2003 with a degree in history and education.
Then he changed his mind.
Shaw, who grew up in Exeter, Maine, decided to follow his deceased father's footsteps into the military. He enlisted in the Army.
Shaw was in Konar, Afghanistan, on his third overseas deployment June 27 when his unit from Fort Campbell was attacked. He died in combat.
Shaw put his teaching career on hold and left his young family behind to go to war because he loved his country, said Rick Whitney, his high school history teacher.
"He'd be the type of person who put himself out there to help someone else if they needed him. No matter what the cost to him would be. It's just the way he was," Whitney said.
Shaw listed his wife, Audrey, as his hero on his MySpace page because "it takes a tough person to say goodbye to their mate for a long extended period of time and take care of two children," he wrote before his third child was born. "All you army wives are (heroes) too."
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Army Staff Sgt. Brandon M. Silk
Brandon Silk's favorite movie growing up was "Top Gun."
It was one of his inspirations for joining the Army and becoming a Black Hawk crew chief for the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell.
Silk, of Orono, Maine, enlisted shortly after graduating from Orono High School in 2003. Working on Black Hawk helicopters and accompanying pilots on missions was a dream come true. Silk loved his job so much he turned down a promotion to a desk job.
He served in Korea, Iraq and twice in Afghanistan. He wasn't required to go on the second Afghanistan tour, said his father, Mark Silk.
"But he had been training all these other guys. He didn't want them to go without him," his father said.
Silk, 25, died June 21 after a hard landing in a helicopter near Gaza Ridge, Afghanistan.
"He was one of those rare individuals that could make a bad day good and a good day that much better," former colleague Jared Adams posted on a Facebook page honoring Silk. "He made me a better crew chief, a better soldier and a better person."
He also leaves behind his wife, Kayce Silk, stepson, Brayden Browning, and mother, Lynn Silk.
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Air Force Staff Sgt. David C. Smith
Whether you knew him as "Smitty," "Stuntman," "Cazzie" or any other nickname, David Smith was the guy who could be counted on as a rescuer.
In grade school, his mother said, he stood up for a buddy who was being teased because he had learning disabilities. As a helicopter flight engineer, he was trying to save soldiers who had been wounded in Afghanistan's Helmand province when the chopper crashed, killing him.
The 26-year-old Smith of Eight Mile, Ala., was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base. He graduated from Satsuma High School and joined the military a year later.
He was remembered as a computer nerd who loved reading and playing video games.
"Anything electronic, he could take it apart and put it back together," said his mother, Mildred Hardee.
He had a dry sense of humor and loved stand-up comedy, Hardee said.
Smith also was well-respected by the other men he worked with.
"He was intelligent, funny, dependable, honest, humble, tough and, most importantly, he was a constant," said Master Sgt. Kristopher Angone. "He was a known value. He was a steady force in today's chaotic environment."
Smith also is survived by four siblings.
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Marine Cpl. Jeffrey R. Standfest
Jeffrey Standfest was an "all-American kid" who joined the military because his grandfather served in the Marines during World War II, according to family friend Doug Mills.
Standfest, 23, of St. Clair, Mich, died June 16 when he was hit by an explosive device while on foot patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was a dog handler and combat engineer based in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
He enlisted in 2008, three years after graduating from St. Clair High School, where he ran cross country and track. He also played baseball.
"He was an outstanding high school athlete and a respectful person who loved his family and loved being in the Marine Corps," said Richard Maierle, who works with Standfest's father at a Michigan police department. "He was just an overall great kid."
Standfest ran cross country while attending Oakland University and helped lead the team to a conference championship, his coach said.
He also was dedicated to hitting the books and had carried a high grade-point average in high school, fellow students said. In his down time, he enjoyed rabbit hunting and fishing, as well as baseball and hockey.
Survivors include his parents, Timothy and Karen.
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Army 1st Lt. Joseph J. Theinert
Even as a little boy, Joe Theinert knew he wanted to be a soldier. Growing up on the east end of Long Island, N.Y., he enjoyed playing army games in the back yard with his brothers.
As he got older, he participated in other activities that hinted at his military interest — hunting and paintball.
He joined the New York Army National Guard and then volunteered for active duty, based at Fort Drum. His unit was sent to Afghanistan. Before he left, his little brother, James, asked if he was scared. Theinert simply replied, "Nope, born to it."
Theinert, 24, died June 4 while disabling a bomb near Kandahar. Because he ordered his 20-man unit to retreat, no one else was injured or killed.
Theinert was a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany with a bachelor's degree in history. He also completed the Siena College ROTC program.
An entry in a book Theinert started compiling in high school explains his interest in military service.
"There is nothing glorious about war, but I will go into it to keep the people I love away from it," he wrote.
Survivors also include his parents, James Theinert and Chrystyna Kestler.
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Army Spc. David W. Thomas
David Thomas quit the military after working for a time as a recruiter — he had a hard time whenever he found out a young man he'd recruited had been killed in action overseas.
"I think that bothered him a lot," said his sister, Donna Butler. But after so many years in the armed forces, he got the itch again.
"He just loved military life. He tried civilian life, but it just wasn't for him," Butler said. Thomas was trying to hit the 20-year mark before he finally retired.
But the 40-year-old Army specialist from St. Petersburg, Fla., was killed June 27 when insurgents attacked his unit. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.
His mother, Mary Thomas, said the loving father loved to play with his children — two sons, two daughters and a stepson.
David Thomas had first served in the Navy for about three years, signing up a week after he graduated from high school. A few years later, he joined the Marines and served three tours in Iraq.
Thomas often called and e-mailed to check in on his family and always was careful about what he said so they wouldn't worry. He asked his wife to wish his mother a happy birthday in case he couldn't call.
He tried to assure his sister: "I'm OK, sis. I'm OK."
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Army Spc. Blair D. Thompson
Blair Thompson enjoyed paintball and loved hockey. His favorite team was the New Jersey Devils. Friends also say he was somewhat mischievous.
"He would do anything and everything to cause some innocent ruckus," said former classmate Eric Benfrey. "He was always trying to make people laugh because he cared about them."
Thompson, of Rome, N.Y., had wanted an Army career since childhood. He joined the Air Force Junior ROTC as a high school sophomore. He joined the Army after graduating from Rome Free Academy in 2008.
Thompson, 19, deployed to Afghanistan in May. On his Facebook page last month, he posted a photo showing shrapnel injuries he suffered in an insurgent attack.
His father, Vincent Thompson, said the Army offered his son a chance to rest and heal, but he wanted to be back in the fight. On June 25, insurgents again attacked Thompson's unit. He did not survive.
"He went over there with a very open mind, with a true patriot's heart," his father said. "All he wanted to do was protect you and me."
Thompson was assigned to Fort Campbell. He also is survived by his mother, Arena Young, and three brothers.
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Marine Sgt. Zachary J. Walters
Zachary Walters liked a lot of things that give people an adrenaline rush: surfing on Daytona Beach in Florida. Climbing mountians. Fast cars.
In fact, he had two Ford Mustang muscle cars waiting for him at home. One was a dark blue 2008 model; the other a black 1987 model.
"He was really proud of that," said his girlfriend, Victoria Falcon.
Walters, 24, of Palm Coast, Fla., was killed June 8 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. His grandmother Bobbie M. Walters said he was leading his platoon through a training exercise with Afghan forces when he stepped on a bomb. Another Marine died in the blast. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune.
The Marine had planned to ask Falcon to marry him — he'd just gotten the blessing to pop the question from Falcon's father, Thomas Zoblisien. He died before he had the chance.
Walters got his start in the Junior ROTC program at Flagler Palm Coast High School, the school he graduated from in 2005. His instructor said he always took the uniform seriously, and that stuck with him when he passed up scholarships and job offers to join the military.
"He just knew he wanted to be in the service," Bobbie Walters said. "He felt like he was doing what he thought was right."
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Air Force Senior Airman Benjamin D. White
Benjamin White's job — flying in on a helicopter to rescue soldiers wounded in battle — was embodied in the tattoo on his back. It was a Bible verse that read: "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend."
His father, Anthony White, recalled White as a somewhat aimless teenager who found what he truly wanted to do in the Air Force. The airman's grandfather, Curtis White, recalled that the young man started lifting weights so he'd be ready for the military's challenge.
"He said he finally felt a sense of purpose — that he was doing what he was supposed to do," said his sister-in-law, Ashlee White.
White, 24, of Erwin, Tenn., was killed June 9 in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. He was assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. He graduated from Science Hill High School in 2004 and spent a few semesters at East Tennessee State University before enlisting in 2006.
Family and friends said White was always worried about everyone else — even though he was in danger. Ashlee White said her brother-in-law was the one praying for everyone back home. His supervisor, Staff Sgt. Jason Walker, said White always asked: "What can I do to help?"
White also is survived by his mother, Brenda Shelton-Logozo, and stepmother, Jennifer White.
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Army Spc. William C. Yauch
William Yauch was an outgoing guy who loved life and his country, relatives said.
"He very much loved the U.S. Army and was doing what he believed in and wanted to be doing," his stepmother, Debbie Yauch, said.
The 23-year-old from Batesville, Ark., died June 11 in Jalula, Iraq, of wounds from a vehicle-borne explosive device. He was assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Debbie Yauch said her stepson was scheduled to come home in less than two months.
"Chris," as he was known, is being remembered for how he enjoyed a good game of paint ball, his passion for riding his motorcycle and his love of tinkering with his car.
"He was a friendly young man, pleasant to be around, just an all-around good guy," said principal David Campbell of Batesville High School, where Yauch graduated in 2005.
He enlisted in the Army in 2007 and married his wife, Mallory Rhodes, in February of the following year.
Other survivors include his mother and stepfather, Lucretia and Dennis Robertson; his father, Kurt Yauch; and four stepsisters, Jenny, Rachel, Barbara and Brenda.
Copyright 2010 AP News
