by Martha Bebinger
May 22, 2006
Army Pvt. Brian Moquin, 19, from Worchester, Mass., was one of 10 soldiers who died in the helicopter crash in Afghanistan earlier this month. Martha Bebinger of member station WBUR in Boston offers a remembrance of the young soldier and the "forgotten war."
Copyright © 2009 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
NOAH ADAMS, host:
In Afghanistan, the other front of the Bush administration's war on terror, fighting intensified over the weekend.
MADELEINE BRAND, host:
The U.S.-led coalition conducted nighttime air strikes against Taliban rebels in southern Afghanistan. As many as 80 suspected Taliban members were killed, along with more than a dozen civilians.
ADAMS: This past week has been one of the bloodiest since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban back in 2001. More than 250 have been killed in the violence.
BRAND: Mean time, last week, an Army private from Worchester, Massachusetts, who was killed while on duty in Afghanistan, was laid to rest.
ADAMS: Brian Moquin was one of 10 members of the 10th Mountain Division killed, when their helicopter tumbled off a rugged mountain landing earlier in the month.
From member station WBUR, Martha Bebinger has more.
MARTHA BEBINGER, reporting:
Nineteen-year-old Brian Moquin was the youngest soldier killed when the Chinook helicopter burst into flames. He joined the Army just over a year ago and was sent to Afghanistan last fall at the Scout for a combat unit.
Outside St. Anne's Catholic Church, Moquin's friends huddled to share stories and comfort. Tasha Bara(ph) grew up with Moquin.
Ms. TASHA BARA (Friend of Brian Moquin): I remember in the summers, going on the boat and tubing, and having the tubes flip me over because he would always push me. He was a good kid. He had a good personality. He always made you smile, no matter what.
BEBINGER: But friends describe strains on Moquin's generous and fun-loving spirit. He moved from one high school to another before dropping out. He eventually got his GED at a local community college.
Patrick McGuire(ph) says Moquin joined the Army because it seemed like his only option at the time.
PATRICK MCQUIRE (Friend of Brian Moquin): Rent was due. He had no money to pay for it. He really didn't have any place to go. So he decided that was the best place. He thought it was respectable, and died doing something that he thought was good.
BEBINGER: Other friends say the Army seemed to fit Moquin's adventurous, daredevil personality.
During mass, Moquin's mother, Tracy Valencourt(ph), was too shaken to speak. Valencourt asked her fiancé to read something she'd written about her fearless toddler, who grew up to be a teenager, defying gravity on his skateboard.
Mr. PETER BISSONET(ph) (Fiancé of Tracy Valencourt): One day, he brought his bureau from his room outside and made a ramp out of it, walked to the top of our very steep driveway, then down the driveway and over the bureau he went. He had no fear. But the bravest choice of all was when he decided to join the Army and fight for the freedom of our country.
He was determined. And I am proud of him.
BEBINGER: The fiancé, Peter Bissonet, is a Worchester police officer who had grown fond of Moquin.
Mr. BISSONET: Every day I wake up and step out my door, I'm going to strive to be as brave as Brian. He was the real deal. He was the real deal.
BEBINGER: Many who knew Moquin described him as wise beyond his years. He wrote poetry and drew pictures that amazed students and instructors, says his former art teacher, Gayle(ph) Fairbanks.
Ms. GAYLE FAIRBANKS (Former Teacher of Brian Moquin): He understood the enormities of life. And it showed in his work. There was always a statement of how the way the world should be and how he'd like to change it.
BEBINGER: Moquin was a guitarist and vocalist in a band called, Coordinates: Cartesia. Their music is posted on the Internet. The remaining members of that group and a half dozen other bands are planning a memorial concert for Brian Moquin.
For NPR News, I'm Martha Bebinger in Boston.
Copyright ©2009 National Public Radio®. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
Army Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr.
19, of Worcester, Mass.; assigned to the 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum N.Y.; died May 5 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan, in the Kunar province. Also killed were: Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., Spc. Justin L. O’Donohoe, Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, Sgt. John C. Griffith, Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten and Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty.
Worcester soldier was ‘too young’ to die, says mom
Associated Press
WORCESTER, Mass. — A 19-year-old Worcester man was among 10 soldiers killed when their helicopter crashed during combat operations in eastern Afghanistan last week, the Army announced Wednesday.
Pfc. Brian M. Moquin Jr. died Friday in the remote mountains of Kunar Province, Afghanistan, after the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed while on a mission to find al-Qaida and Taliban militants believed to be hiding in the rugged terrain near the border with Pakistan.
Army officials said the helicopter was conducting operations on a mountaintop landing zone when it fell into a ravine. All 10 soldiers aboard the helicopter were killed.
Military officials said the helicopter was not downed by hostile fire. An investigation into the cause of the crash is continuing, Julie Curren, a spokeswoman for the Army, said Wednesday.
Moquin’s mother, Tracy Vaillancourt, said she was in Chicago on a business trip Sunday morning when an Army officer called her on her cell phone and told her of the death of her only child.
“He was too young,” Vaillancourt told the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester. “He just wanted to do something to make everybody proud. I’m very proud of him.”
Vaillancourt said that from a young age, her son had expressed interest in joining the military. Moquin enlisted in the Army in March 2005 and attended basic training at Fort Knox, Ky.
He was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division in August and deployed to Afghanistan in February. Moquin had received numerous military awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal and Combat Action Badge.
FORT DRUM – Ten Soldiers assigned to the 10th Mountain Division were killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, when their CH-47D Chinook helicopter, tail number 85-24349, crashed while conducting combat operations.
|
|
Six of the Soldiers were assigned to the division’s 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment. Four other Soldiers killed in the accident were assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, a unit within the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
|
|
The bodies of the Soldiers killed in the accident, along with the helicopter, were recovered on 8 May by members of Combined Joint Task Force 76, the coalition military force charged with eliminating terrorist forces from Afghanistan and fostering an environment for the foundation of a democratic Afghan government.
|
|
Some 5,800 10th Mountain Division Soldiers based at Fort Drum, along with 1,300 Mountain Soldiers based at Fort Polk, Louisiana, deployed to Afghanistan in January to serve as the core of Combined Joint Task Force 76.
The Soldiers were:
|
|
|
Lieutenant Colonel
Joseph J. Fenty, Jr.
|
|
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph J. Fenty, Jr., was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Fenty, 41, was the commander of 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
A native of New York, Fenty was commissioned an infantry officer in June 1986 after graduating from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., with a degree in business administration.
After completing the Infantry Officer Basic Course, he was assigned to the 506th Infantry Regiment at Fort Kobbe, Panama. In 1990, Fenty was assigned to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, where he served as a company commander and battalion staff officer. In June 1996, Fenty was reassigned to Fort Benning , Georgia, to the 14th Infantry Regiment and later to the 75th Ranger Regiment headquarters in July 1997.
Fenty was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division in 1997 and deployed to Bosnia is support of multi-national operations. In March 2000, he was assigned to the Division’s 2nd Brigade and later deployed with 2nd Brigade to Afghanistan. In June 2002, he was assigned to the U.S. Army’s Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Virginia.
Fenty returned to the 10th Mountain Division in June 2004 and took command of the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment.
In 1994, Fenty was selected to serve for two years as an exchange officer with the British Army as an instructor at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the United Kingdom ’s equivalent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Fenty’s military education includes the Command General Staff College, Training Development Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Pathfinder Course, Jumpmaster Course, Ranger School, Jungle Warfare School, Infantry Officer Basic Course and Infantry Mortar Platoon Officer Course.
In 1998, Fenty received a master’s degree in education from Troy State University.
His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge and the Ranger Tab.
Fenty is survived by his wife, Kristin, his daughter Lauren and his parents.
|
|
|
Chief Warrant Officer 3
Eric W. Totten
|
|
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Totten, 34, was a CH-47 pilot assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
A native of Minnesota, Totten enlisted in the Army in August 1993. He attended the Warrant Officer Basic Course and became a qualified CH-47 pilot in 2000.
He deployed to Afghanistan with his unit in February 2006.
Totten’s military education includes the Air Assault Course, U.S Army Ranger School, Airborne Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) Instructor Qualification Course, Warrant Officer Basic Course, CH-47D Aircraft Qualification Course (AQC), Strategic Deployment Scheduler Course, Unit Movement Officer Course, and the Action Officer Development Course.
His awards and decorations include the Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non-commissioned Officer’s Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon,, NATO Medal, Air Assault Badge, Army Aviator Badge, Driver/Mechanic Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Ranger Tab.
Totten is survived by his stepmother, Tommie Totten, in Dallas, Texas.
|
|
|
Chief Warrant Officer 2
Christopher B. Donaldson
|
|
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher B. Donaldson, was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Donaldson, 28, was a CH-47 Chinook helicopter pilot assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
A native of Illinois, Donaldson enlisted in the Army in September 1997.
In April 2003, he began the Warrant Officer Candidate School to train as a helicopter pilot. He completed training to be an Army Aviator in 2004 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in November 2004. In April 2005, Donaldson was reassigned to Fort Drum to serve in the 10th Mountain Division.
Donaldson’s previous overseas assignments include a 14 month tour in Korea from April 1998 to June 1999. He also served in Germany from October 2000 to September 2002.
Donaldson’s military education includes the Army Maintenance Management Course, Electronic Warfare Officers Course, Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course, Rotary Wing Aviator Course and the Warrant Officer Candidate School.
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Air Assault Badge and the Army Aviator Badge.
Donaldson is survived by his father, William, of Beecher City, Illinois, and his mother, Lynne, of Effingham, Illinois.
|
|
|
Staff Sergeant
Christopher T. Howick
|
|
Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Howick, 34, was a CH-47 flight engineer assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
A native of Hamburg, New York, Howick enlisted in the Army in September 1991 and attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Bliss, Texas. He was assigned as a helicopter repairman with the 123rd Aviation Company at Fort Wainwright, Alaska in March 1993 until May 1996. He served at Fort Drum from May 1996 to December 1997 as a helicopter repair team chief.
From 1997 to 2001, Howick served with the 123rd Aviation Maintenance Detachment at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. From 2001 to 2004, he was assigned to the Aviation Center, at Fort Rucker, Alabama, as a helicopter repair instructor. He was reassigned to Fort Drum in June 2005 and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in February 2006.
Howick’s military education includes the Basic Non-commissioned Officer’s Course, Warrior Leader’s Course, Aviation Life Support Equipment Training, Air Assault and Mountain Warfare training.
His awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Non-commissioned Officer’s Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Aviator Badge and the Air Assault Badge.
Howick is survived by his wife, Una, at Fort Drum and a daughter Noel. He is also survived by his parents Charles and Lola Howick, of Hamburg, New York.
|
|
|
Sergeant
Bryan A. Brewster
|
|
Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Brewster, 24, was a CH-47 flight engineer assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
A native of Fontana, California, Brewster enlisted in the Army in September 2000 and attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After completing Advanced Individual Training at Fort Lee, Virginia, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in August 2001.
He deployed to Afghanistan from January to July of 2002. He also served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from February 2003 to February 2004.
Brewster’s military education includes the Warrior Leader’s Course, Transportation of Hazardous Material Course, Strategic Deployment Scheduler Course and the Unit Movement Officer Course.
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Non-commissioned Officer’s Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Aviator Badge.
Brewster is survived by his wife Kati, and his parents Louis and Linda Brewster, of Victorville, California.
|
|
|
Sergeant
John C. Griffith
|
|
Sgt. John C. Griffith was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Griffith, 33, was a light wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
Originally from Wisconsin, Griffith enlisted in the Army in May 1991 and attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Following basic and advanced training, Griffith was assigned to the 56th Air Ambulance Company at Camp Humphries, Korea, in July 2004. In July 2005 Griffith was reassigned to Fort Drum.
Griffith is a graduate of the Warrior Leader’s Course.
His awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge and Driver/Mechanic Badge.
Griffith is survived by his wife, Christa; their children Hunter, Spencer and Kailynn; and his parents, Robert and Barbara.
|
|
|
Sergeant
Jeffery S. Wiekamp
|
|
Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Wiekamp, 23, was a CH-47 flight engineer assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
A native of South Dakota, Wiekamp enlisted in the Army in August 2001 and attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was also assigned to Fort Eustis, Virginia, and with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
He deployed to Afghanistan with his unit in February 2006.
Wiekamp’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Aviator Badge.
Wiekamp is survived by his wife Ashley, who also deployed to Iraq, and his parents Randy and Kathleen Wiekamp, of Utopia, Texas.
|
|
|
Specialist
Justin L. Odonohoe
|
|
Spc. Justin L. Odonohoe was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Odonohoe, 27, was a cavalry scout assigned to A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
Odonohoe, from San Diego, California, enlisted in the Army in April 2004 and attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After completing Advanced Individual Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division in September 2004 and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in February 2006.
Odonohoe’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal, Combat Action Badge and the Expert Infantryman Badge.
Odonohoe is survived by his parents, Joseph and Pamela Odonohoe, of San Diego, California, and his brother, Kyle.
|
|
|
Specialist
David N. Timmons Jr.
|
|
Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Timmons, 24, was a cavalry scout assigned to A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
A native of Lewisville, North Carolina, Timmons enlisted in the Army in January 2004 and attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After completing Advanced Individual Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division in June 2004.
He deployed with his unit to Afghanistan in February 2006.
Timmons’ awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal, Combat Action Badge and the Driver Badge.
Timmons is survived by his father, David Timmons and sister, Shalante Timmons, of Lewisville, North Carolina.
|
|
Pfc. Brian M. Moquin, Jr., was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 5 May 2006 while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Moquin, 19, was a Cavalry Scout assigned to A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Fort Drum, New York.
A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Moquin enlisted in the Army in March 2005 and attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After completing Advanced Individual Training, he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division in August 2005 and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in February 2006.
Moquin’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal, Combat Action Badge and the Driver Badge.
Moquin is survived by his father, Brian Moquin, Sr., and his mother, Tracy Vaillencourt, of Worcester, Massachusetts. He is also survived by his grandmother, Elsie Moquin, of Millbury, Massachusetts.
|
Sgt. Benjamin E. Mejia
Hometown: Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 25 years old
Died: May 31, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Ala.
Incident: Died of non-combat related causes in Marez.
Share with your friends: |
