Family, friends remember Minn. Army Ranger

Family, friends remember Minn. Army Ranger

St. Paul, Minn. — The past few days have been some of the toughest in years for Minnesota families with loved ones at war.

Three Minnesotans were killed in Iraq Thursday. A Minnesota pilot died in Afghanistan over the weekend, and there is now word that a 21-year-old Army Ranger from Rosemount has died from wounds he got in combat earlier this month in Afghanistan.

The Defense department confirmed Monday that Cpl. Benjamin Kopp died Saturday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Ben Kopp was a 2006 graduate of Rosemount High School and was serving his first tour in Afghanistan after completing two tours in Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, based at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson, said Ben's decision to join the Army out of high school was influenced by his great-grandfather, who served in World War II.

"He took a liking to history, of our country, and had a lot of interest in the stories that he had to tell about where he went and what he did," Stephenson said. "Great-grandpa had a lot of medals that were on display in the house, and Ben was interested in those and where they came from. It was really his great, I think, respect and admiration for him that turned him on and gave him an interest in serving his country."

Stephenson announced her son's death Saturday with a message on the CaringBridge Web page set up to monitor his progress. She wrote that Ben was injured July 10, and the loss of blood caused him to go into cardiac arrest at the battalion surgical center. He never regained consciousness. Kopp was transported to Germany and then to Washington, D.C., where he died one week later.

In an e-mail to MPR News, a member of Kopp's unit said his good friend was shot twice in the leg while they were both on a special operations mission.

The Army news release says insurgents attacked the unit with small arms fire in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Kopp had no brothers or sisters. But he had many friends who are now mourning his death. Brianna Robinson of Rosemount knew Ben Kopp since the 9th grade. Her boyfriend was one of his best friends and Robinson describes Kopp as an amazing person.

"One of the funniest guys I knew," Robinson said. "The sweetest person, caring, very outgoing, polite, dedicated to anything he did. Very strong."

Robinson said she last saw Kopp in the spring when he was home on leave. She said many of his old friends made sure he had a good time before he left. Robinson said Kopp he liked talking about his military service.

"Of course he was proud of it. He loved doing it," she said. "That's what he'd always wanted to do. He talked about it a lot. He talked about all of his friends in Georgia, and how he wanted to stay down south when he was done. He really loved it."

At Rosemount High School, assistant principal Tom Conboy said news of Ben Kopp's death has left anyone who knew him feeling sad. Conboy remembers Kopp as someone he used to see at school as well as his own house.

"Ben was a friend of my son Andrew, and Ben has been to my house many times, and Andrew has been to Ben's house many times," Conboy said. "So, it's been particularly difficult for our family."

Conboy said Kopp played football and lifted weights and that Kopp approached most activities with intensity and a strong work ethic. Conboy said he wasn't surprised to hear that Kopp had become an Army Ranger.

"I know he was very excited about serving his country," Conboy said. "Had a really great sense of right and wrong, in terms of, I think he would be considered to be very patriotic and want to be that guy to defend his country."

Words of sympathy and remembrance are coming in to two Web sites dedicated to Kopp's memory. Jill Stephenson said she's been reading the messages and is taking comfort in the way her son touched others.

"He made me more proud than I really ever thought was possible in life," she said. "And now in his passing, in the conditions in which he died and being an organ donor, words can't express how elated I am and how proud I am to be his mother."

Stephenson said her son had requested to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. She said plans are also being made for local services, but no decisions have been made.

Rosemount soldier was 'hard-wired' for heroism

Kyndell Harkness, Star Tribune

Pins were made for family and friends to help remember Corporal Benjamin Kopp during his funeral held at Rosemount High School.

Hundreds celebrated the life of 21-year-old Benjamin Kopp, an Army Ranger who died of wounds suffered in Afghanistan. But his heart beats on.

Hundreds celebrated the life of 21-year-old Benjamin Kopp, an Army Ranger who died of wounds suffered in Afghanistan. But his heart beats on.

More than 700 people gathered at Rosemount High School on Saturday to honor the memory and heroism of Army Ranger Cpl. Ben Kopp, who graduated from the school in 2006.

"We continually find men like Ben who rise to the occasion," Ranger Chaplain Jeff Struecker told the mourners for Kopp, a 21-year-old special operations soldier who died July 18 from wounds suffered during a gun battle with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. "They come from communities like this one. Ben was a hero because he had no choice. It was hard-wired into him."

Also honored at services Saturday was Air Force Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan who was killed when the fighter jet in which he was a navigator crashed in Afghanistan on July 17. Gramith, whose funeral was held at the Cathedral of St. Paul, was a 2000 graduate of St. Thomas Academy and 2005 graduate of North Dakota State University in Fargo.

Kopp, who will be buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., was a popular student at Rosemount High, where he played on special teams and the offensive line for the football team and did a lot of work in the weight room. Jill Stephenson, his mother, said she decided to hold the memorial at the high school. "I wanted to make sure everyone could be inside and part of the service," she said.

Her son told her when he was age 12 that he wanted to join the Army. "He admired his great grandfather who served in World War II," she said. Before being deployed to Afghanistan, Kopp served two tours in Iraq.

Tracy Bailey, a public affairs officer for the 75th Ranger Regiment, said Rangers are elite soldiers who train and go into combat together. "These men have a bond a lot of people don't understand," she said. About 25 members of the Regiment, which is based at Fort Benning, Ga., came to Rosemount for the memorial Saturday. Also attending the memorial service were Gov. Tim Pawlenty and U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken.

According to a Ranger news release, Kopp's unit "attacked a Taliban safe haven where they fought a determined enemy from multiple directions for several hours, resulting in the killing of more than 10 Taliban fighters."

The combat took place in the early morning hours. Struecker said Kopp was leading a machine gun unit that was providing cover for a reconnaissance team that was attempting to make a safe withdrawal. During the exchange of gunfire, Kopp had to emerge from cover and was shot in the leg.

"The gunshot wound to the leg was a little overwhelming," said Pat Vos of St. Paul, Stephenson's boyfriend. "They got a tourniquet on him. He was conscious and they got him on a table and he went into cardiac arrest" from the loss of blood. Kopp was flown on to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., but did not regain consciousness and died eight days later.

In a living will, Kopp asked that his organs be donated, which Stephenson noted on a website. Maria Burud of Chicago, a cousin of Stephenson, posted a note that she had a friend who needed a heart transplant. Stephenson responded, there was a match, and Judy Miekle, 57, of Chicago, received Kopp's transplanted heart July 19. "She is doing wonderfully," Burud said.

"To experience that joy along with the sorrow, it is a miracle," Stephenson said after the memorial.

During the memorial, Spc. Chase Vanderhule, a close friend, described Kopp as a "headstrong" man who "lived in the moment" and enjoyed their "good time" trips to Florida, where he hoped to eventually attend college.

Vanderhule told of a trip the two took down a river in a little boat. They saw an alligator in the water, but nonetheless Kopp dived in, swam to the shore then returned to the boat. They saw more alligators and Vanderhule said, "He told me that was the stupidest thing that he'd ever done."

Chaplain Strueker said he has presided at nearly 40 funerals of U.S. soldiers since 2001.

"I'm a former infantryman," he said. "I realize this is part of war. Men die in war. I try to give them the honors they should receive."

Randy Furst • 612-673-7382

By Kyndell Harkness, Star Tribune

Sarah Schulte

August 2, 2009 (WINNETKA, Ill.) (WLS) -- A woman from Winnetka has received a life-saving transplant, thanks to a fallen soldier's family. It's a story of dual sacrifice.

Judy Meikle was recovering at home Sunday, just a few days after a heart transplant she had less than two weeks ago. The very active 57-year-old says she feels like the luckiest person in the world.

"I have a heart of a 22-year-old Army Ranger who was a bonafide hero in me. It is so amazing," she told ABC7 Chicago in an exclusive interview.

The heart now beating strongly inside Meikel is that of Ben Kopp, an Army ranger from Minnesota. While serving in Afghanistan, Kopp was involved in a firefight with the Taliban on July 10. After saving the lives of six of his comrades, Kopp was shot. Days later, he died.

However, Kopp's heroism on the battlefield continued in death. He wanted to be an organ donor, and his mother made sure it happened.

"It's absolutely amazing that she, in the darkest hours of life, put other people first," Meikle said.

After being diagnosed with a heart condition she never knew she had, Meikel was placed on a transplant list a few months ago. Two weeks ago, she got a phone call from her close friend, Maria Burud, saying that her cousin, Ben Kopp, had died and was donating his organs.

"I just didn't think it was going to happen," said Meikle. "This is one shot in a million. Forget about it."

Despite the doubts, Ben's heart was a match. Meikel was in and out of surgery in less than five hours, and now, she's home with friends, thankful for her second chance and grateful for a soldier who was a true hero.

"Ben's life was fighting for his country. He died with honor saving lives, but then to add this-- it's icing on the cake," Maria Burud said.

"I never exercised. I keep saying when I jog on the street, they know it is Ben and not me," Meikle said.

Ben Kopp's funeral was held Saturday, and he will be buried Friday in Arlington National Cemetery.

Kopp enlisted in the Army three years ago. He served several tours of duty in the Mideast and eventually joined the Army's Elite Light Infrantry Corps., the Rangers. His unit was assigned to Afghanistan in May.

So far, Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson, and Judy Meikel have communicated via email only, but they plan to meet sometime this year. Stephenson says she wants to spend the holidays in Chicago where her son's heart is.

(Copyright ©2010 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6945131



The Heart of a Ranger - Godspeed Corporal Benjamin Kopp

Posted By Blackfive

"Ben's life was fighting for his country. He died with honor saving lives, but then to add this-- it's icing on the cake." - Maria Burud, Ben's cousin

Corporal Benjamin Kopp, USASOC Photo

Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp, was a rifleman assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga. He was born on Jan. 20, 1988 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Kopp was seriously wounded during a combat operation in southern Afghanistan, July 10. Kopp was medically evacuated through Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to Walter Reed Medical Center, Washington, D.C., where he died as a result of his wounds July 18. His unit had attacked into a Taliban safe haven where they fought a determined enemy from multiple directions for several hours, resulting in the killing of more than 10 Taliban fighters.

Kopp was on his third deployment in support of the War on Terror with two previous deployments to Iraq.

After graduating from Rosemount High School, Kopp enlisted in the U.S. Army from his hometown of Rosemont, Minn., July 2006. He completed One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning Ga., as an infantryman. After graduating from the Basic Airborne Course there, he was assigned to the Ranger Indoctrination Program also at Fort Benning.

He graduated from the Ranger Indoctrination Program and was then assigned to Company C, 3rd Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment June 2007 where he served as a Rifleman.

His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Indoctrination Program, and the U.S. Army Ranger Course.

His awards and decorations include Army Achievement Medal with two awards, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab. Kopp was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Kopp is survived by his mother Jill Stephenson of Rosemont, Minn., and his father Duane Kopp of Minnetonka, Minn

As a Ranger, Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp distinguished himself as a member of the Army’s premier light-infantry unit, traveled to all corners of the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism, and fought valiantly to “uphold the prestige, honor, and high ‘esprit de corps’” of the Ranger Regiment.

- RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. - Army Ranger Benjamin Kopp died last month after being wounded in Afghanistan, but a part of the Minnesota soldier lives on.

His family agreed to donate his organs, and now a 57-year-old Chicago woman feels privileged to have received the Rosemount soldier's heart.

Judy Meikle says she got a call about Kopp's death two weeks ago from the soldier's cousin, who's her close friend. His heart was a perfect match for Meikle.

She says she now has the heart of an Army Ranger who's a bona fide hero.

Kopp served two tours in Iraq before his tour in Afghanistan as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based in Fort Benning, Ga. He will be buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery.

The 21-year-old died July 18 after being wounded in battle.

Monday, July 20 2009 @ 07:41 AM MDT Rosemount Town Pages -- Ben Kopp, the 2006 Rosemount High School graduate injured July 10 while serving in Afghanistan, has died. Jill Stephenson, Ben's mother, announced her son's death in a message Saturday on CaringBridge.org site she set up to allow people to track her son's condition. Kopp spent much of the last week in an induced coma this week in Washington, D.C.’s Walter Reed Medical Center as doctors tried to reduce swelling in his brain, the result of a gunshot wound he received July 10 while serving in Afghanistan. Kopp received treatment immediately in the field, Stephenson said. But according to information she posted on the CaringBridge sitea bullet had hit her son’s secondary femoral artery. The loss of blood caused him to go into cardiac arrest on the operating table at a battalion surgical center. Doctors cut open his chest to perform CPR. Kopp never woke up. There will be services for Kopp in Minnesota, though details are not yet available. He has requested to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

nation and world

GI's heart saves family friend

Killed in Afghanistan, Cpl. Benjamin Kopp was an organ donor

By Mark Berman
The Washington Post

Posted: 08/09/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT

Army soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment carry the casket of Cpl. Benjamin Kopp at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Friday. (Paul J. Richards, AFP/Getty Images )

WASHINGTON — Cpl. Benjamin Kopp gave his life. And then he saved one.

An Army Ranger who had been on his third tour of duty, Kopp was buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery. Sadly, it's a familiar story: a young man dead before his time, shot by enemies on the other side of the world.

But this time, there was a renewed life too. Kopp wanted to be an organ donor.

And after he died, his heart was transplanted into a family member's friend who had a rare form of congenital heart disease.

"How can you have a better heart?" said a grateful Judy Meikle, 57, of Winnetka, Ill., who is still recovering from the surgery. "I have the heart of a 21-year-old Army Ranger war hero beating in me." Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson, of Rosemount, Minn., said that in addition to her son's heart, doctors removed his kidneys, pancreas and liver for transplant.

Kopp had served two tours of duty in Iraq when he left this spring for Afghanistan. On July 10, his unit attacked a Taliban haven in Helmand province, according to the 75th Ranger Regiment. The fight lasted several hours, resulting in the deaths of more than 10 Taliban fighters, but Kopp was shot in the leg.

He was eventually transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

"Initially, it was really comforting to have him be there" on U.S. soil, Stephenson said. "And then it was tough to see him in that condition. . . . He looked like a big, strong guy. But he was full of tubes and cords and wires."

On July 18, Stephenson posted an online journal entry telling family and friends about Kopp's passing and said they would donate his organs.

Maria Burud, Stephenson's first cousin in Chicago, had been following Kopp's condition on the website. What occurred next was happenstance.

Burud and Meikle are friends who had worked together in the 1980s. Burud knew that Meikle needed a heart transplant, and Stephenson happened to see her cousin's message in time.

Meikle knew it might not work out, that Kopp's heart might not be a match.

"It's a million-to-one shot," she said.

It had taken her seven months to get on the eligibility list because she needed to build up a tolerance for heparin, a drug used to prevent blood clots during heart surgery.

But she got a call later that day from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

In the early hours of July 20 — two days after Kopp died — Meikle had her transplant surgery at Northwestern.

"Ben and Jill were so courageous that something good came out of something that was the worst thing that could happen to someone," Meikle said.

"I'm just the luckiest woman alive."