Lance Cpl. Jason T. Little Hometown

Justin D. Peterson

Friday, October 06 2006 @ 03:58 AM MDT

The Mercury News -- DETROIT - A Baptist minister's son who wanted to follow his grandfather's example and join the Marines has died in a noncombat vehicle crash while serving in Iraq.

Peterson, 32, was a supply officer assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Twentynine Palms, Calif. He had been in Iraq for six months, his family said.

Peterson's grandfather, Don Woodworth, had been a warrant officer in the Marines.

"From the time he was old enough to talk about a career, Justin wanted to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and be a Marine," his family said in a statement released by Harrison Funeral Home in Springfield Township. "Justin was proud to be an officer in the U.S. Marines."

He was from the unincorporated community of Davisburg in Springfield Township, about 35 miles northwest of Detroit.

The son of a Baptist minister, Peterson enlisted in the Marine Corps out of Southfield Christian High School in 1992, his wife, Patricia Peterson, said. He later earned a business degree at Taylor University, an evangelical Christian school in Upland, Ind., and received an officer's commission.

"For one who has spent 35 years speaking to audiences of all sizes, suddenly my vocabulary seems woefully inadequate to express either the heartache or the pride that overwhelms our extended family," his father, the Rev. Dale Peterson, said in an online memorial posting.

"To know that you lived - in life and in death - the values and principles that your mother and I endeavored to instill in you only augments the value of your life - to us as your parents, to the country that you served, and to the those who will experience the freedoms that you have helped to secure," he wrote.

Peterson had three children - 6-year-old Jared, 2-year-old Jayden and 6-month-old Caitlin, born three days before his deployment to Iraq.

His 21-year-old brother, Joshua, who is also stationed in Iraq, was granted leave to attend the funeral.

Other survivors include his mother Ginna, brother Jordan, sisters Charity and Joy, and grandparents Don and Libby Woodworth.

Published: Apr 23, 2008 @ 7:02 PM

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Manoukian 22, had been back in Iraq only one month before he was killed in Anbar province when the Humvee in which he was riding drove over an improvised exploding device.

Manoukian, son of Mary Manoukian Calhoun of Lathrup Village, married his junior high school sweetheart while he was home on leave.

The young couple had one month and one week together before he was deployed to Iraq in September, said his wife, Danielle Manoukian, 22.

A radio operator, Manoukian was one of four Marines based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., to die in the explosion Saturday and one of two from southeastern Michigan, the Pentagon said Monday. The Defense Department identifi ed the others as Lance Cpl. Clifford R. Collinsworth, 20, of Chelsea; Lance Cpl. Nathan R. Elrod, 20, of Salisbury, N.C.; and Cpl. Joshua C. Watkins, 25, of Jacksonville, Fla.

"He was my only child," Calhoun said, describing how her son loved to draw, loved playing drums, enjoyed ice hockey and snowboarding, loved to cook and was a giving person.

The 2003 Royal Oak Kimball High School graduate was to come home on leave in July. Shortly before that, he called his mother to let her know he and Danielle, whom he met when they were 14, had decided to get married while he was home.

"We had 10 days to plan a wedding, and her mother and I pulled it off in 10 days," his mother said.

The two got married at Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church in Royal Oak, and Manoukian was baptized and had his first Communion that day, as well, she said.

"If there were two people meant for each other, it was Nick and Danielle," his mother said. "They'd been together a long time. Then they drifted apart. But they knew they'd end up together.

"I got to dance with my son at his wedding," she said, gratefully, between sobs. "I was looking forward to having a granddaughter," Calhoun said. Manoukian had planned to adopt Danielle's 2-year-old son, Nico, and they planned to buy a house and have a child after he came home from Iraq.

Then the doorbell rang Saturday.

"I never even questioned or imagined it would just be a month, and that was it," said Danielle, who lives in Royal Oak.

"I'm happy that I got to live with him. He was a person who would give and give. He was the first to volunteer. I just feel so privileged that I got to love somebody so much and he loved me so much."

Growing up, "Nick was the love of his dad's and my life," Calhoun said. "He lost his dad (Isaac Manoukian) at 12 and after that several other family members. He was a strong kid. I used to tell him we were the survivors. I want people to know he was a vibrant young man. He loved his family and was so giving," said Calhoun, who is now married to Manoukian's stepfather, Gary Calhoun.

The family also celebrated Manoukian's 22nd birthday while he was home. He spent his 20th birthday in boot camp and his 21st birthday in Iraq. He and Danielle also celebrated all of the holidays he would miss while in Iraq, including Halloween. He gave her an engagement ring in an Easter basket she made for him when they were in high school.

Before Manoukian was recruited into the Marines, he took art classes at Oakland Community College and worked part time at the Evergreen Nursing Home, where he was the cook.

"He loved to cook," his mother said. "He was fabulous drummer. He used to play from the time he was little. He got a beautiful set of drums when he was 12.

"My dream for Nick was college," his mother said. "He had such a kind, generous heart, and he gave the tightest, best hugs in world. I can't imagine living the rest of my life without him," Calhoun said.

Danielle said she and her new husband had met at 14 and started dating at 15.

"We had always planned to marry. We would talk on the phone eight hours and fall asleep while we were talking. Then we would talk while we were getting ready for school in the morning."

Describing their love as like that portrayed in the movie "Notebook," she said, "He loved me like that. I loved him like that."

Manoukian called her when he could from Iraq and said it "was just terrible there; it wasn't getting any better.

"I always started to cry at the end of calls. I said, You are coming home.' And he would say he was. I felt like he knew he was coming home, and it made me feel like he was," she said.

Services for Manoukian are pending the return of his body to the United States.

Collinsworth, Clifford R. Chelsea, MI Age 20, was defending our country in Ar-Ramadi, Iraq and was killed in the line of Duty on October 21, 2006. He was born on January 22, 1986 in Ann Arbor, Michigan the son of Donald and Trisha (Steger) Collinsworth. Clifford graduated from Chelsea High School in 2004 and played football and wrestled. Six days after graduating from High School Clifford enlisted in the United States Marine Corp. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune , NC. He was a member of the Herbert McKune American Legion Post 31 of Chelsea and loved to be with his family and his buddies. Surviving are his parents of Chelsea, sister Melissa (Derek Eaton) Collinsworth of Chelsea, grandparents;Clifford Collinsworth of Chelsea, Mark Steger of Chelsea, Donald (Harriet) Wild of Ann Arbor, and great grandparents, Edward (Jean) Ingalls of Rochester Hills, MI. Also surviving are his aunts and uncles Jeff Steger of Chelsea, Randy (Debbie) Ellis of Chelsea, John (Carrie) Garrison of Hamburg, and Jimmy Collinsworth of Chelsea; as well as, several cousins including Jimmy Collinsworth and Jamie Westcott Collinsworth. He was preceded in death by his grandmother Norma Collinsworth in July of 2000. Funeral services will be held on Monday October 30, 2006 at 11 a.m. from the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home 901 N. Main, Chelsea. Burial will take place at Oak Grove East Cemetery, Chelsea. Expressions of sympathy can be made to Toys for Tots. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Sunday from 2-4 and 6-8 with Marine Corps League 414 ceremony.

One of Chelsea's own, Marine Lance Corporal Clifford R. Collinsworth, was laid to rest today in Oak Grove Cemetery. Corporal Collinsworth was killed in combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded next to his Humvee. He was a member of the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. This was Corporal Collinsworth's second tour of duty in Iraq.

Chelseans stood in the downtown with U.S. flags as the funeral procession drove by to stand in solidarity with Corporal Collinsworth's family and friends. The funeral procession was led by the Chelsea Police Department motorcycle unit. The Chelsea Area Fire Authority raised their aerial ladder with a United States flag hanging from the basket over Main Street.

Clifford was the second Chelsean to die in Iraq. Army Specialist Donald R. McCune II was killed in Iraq on August 5, 2004.

Once again, the Chelsea community will respond to tragedy and close around the Collinsworth family to help them through difficult days to come. The thoughts and prayers of my family and the entire Chelsea community are with the family and loved ones of Corporal Collinsworth.
Lance Cpl. Troy D. Nealey



Hometown: Eaton Rapids, Michigan, U.S.

Age: 24 years old

Died: October 29, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Unit: Marine Reserves, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Corps Reserve, Lansing, Mich.

Incident: Killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province.

Before he rejoined his unit, Troy D. Nealey told his mother that if the worst happened, he wanted a memorial to benefit 4-H kids. "He loved agriculture," said Annette. "He was exposed to farm life, and he loved the cattle and crops. If he'd been born on a farm, I think that would have made him the happiest." Nealey, 24, of Eaton Rapids, Mich., died Oct. 29 in combat in Anbar province. He was a 2001 high school graduate and was assigned to Lansing. He played sweeper on the soccer squad and anchored relay teams in high school. In his senior year, he received the soccer coaches' award. "Kids like him made coaching very enjoyable," said Joe Honsowitz, his former soccer coach. "He was always positive. I never heard him once be negative about anything. He was a model player." He helped his dad, Norman, a builder, on construction projects and helped his woodworking teacher run electrical wiring in a pole barn. "He was 5 feet 6, but he had a big heart and a big smile," said his mother. Nealey's pickup truck showed his colors. "The truck had two stickers," his mother said. "One was 'Cowboy Up,' and the other was the Marines."

Mourners gather around the casket of Marine Lance Cpl. Troy D. Nealey at the Rosehill Cemetery in Eaton Rapids, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006. Nealey, 24, assigned to Charlie Company in teh 1st Battaliion, 24th Regiment of the 4th Marine Division, was killed Oct. 29 while serving in Iraq. (MANDI WRIGHT/DFP)

Steven Rosales, 18, of Mason plays taps at the Rosehill Cemetery in Eaton Rapids, Mich., where Marine Lance Cpl. Troy Nealey was laid to rest. (MANDI WRIGHT/DFP)

Friends and family members release balloons in memory of Marine Lance Cpl. Troy Nealey who was laid to rest at the Rosehill Cemetery in Eaton Rapids. (MANDI WRIGHT/DFP)

Veterans Doug Kosloski, 64, of Lancing, left, Gene Miller, 71, of Grand Ledge, Curt Peterson, 65, of Dewitt, and Robert Briggs, 71, of Grand Ledge look over where Marine Lance Cpl. Troy Nealey will be laid to rest at the Rosehill Cemetery in Eaton Rapids. (MANDI WRIGHT/DFP)

The hearse carrying Marine Lance Cpl. Troy Nealey arrives at the Rosehill Cemetery. (MANDI WRIGHT/DFP)

A fly over in the missing man formation flies over the furneral of Marine Lance Cpl. Troy Nealey at the Rosehill Cemetery in Eaton Rapids, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006. Nealey, 24, died in the line of duty in Iraq, Oct. 29. (MANDI WRIGHT/DFP)

Laughter amid funeral tears

Fallen Marine, 24, was jack-of-all-pranks

BY AMBER HUNT
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

They came with stories of Troy Nealey the prankster, the farmer, the electrician, the brother to everyone he knew.

On Saturday, Nealy, 24, was honored with a funeral service in his hometown of Eaton Rapids, a rural city near Lansing.

"I always thought he was pretty much invincible," said friend Jason Ottney, who was a grade behind Nealey in high school.

But Nealey wasn't invincible. He was killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq, on Oct. 29. A Reserve Marine assigned to the Charlie Company in the 1st Battalion, 24th Regiment of the 4th Marine Division, Nealey had been overseas just a month when he died.

David Johnson, principal of Eaton Rapids High School, and teacher Ben Gellis -- both of whom grew to be friends with Nealey -- read messages from family, friends and fellow Marines about Nealey, a broad-smiled young man who had no trouble finding dates.

Among the comments:

"He showed me what it was to be a Marine."

"His positive attitude, his big smile ... will never be forgotten."

"That was our Troy -- annoying at times, but always a true friend."

Gellis said he struggled to find a way to honor the man who hoped to be an electrician or a farmer.

He finally decided: "I planted a tree in Troy's memory. I planted it in my yard," he said. "It's Troy's tree."

But while the comments drew sniffles and sobs from the audience of more than 1,000, some drew laughs as well.

Other friends shared tales of Nealey dangling fake spiders from rafters at animal auctions to scare passersby.

He loved going to bonfires, and he'd been known to duct tape a friend or two to a chair.

Pastor Scott Boles of the First Baptist Church in Eaton Rapids said Nealey's family has been inundated with support and well wishes.

Support came from beyond Eaton Rapids. Overseas in Iraq, when one group of Charlie Company Marines learned of their comrade's death, they raised a flag, then lowered it to half-staff.

Family friend Tonya Clough said her daughter, Chelsea, 6, offered her the most comfort about Nealey's death.

"She said, 'Mom, you're so silly,' " Clough said. " 'There's another star in the sky, and we can talk to Troy whenever we want.'

"So if you need any advice, come talk to Chelsea."

Contact AMBER HUNT at 313-222-2708 or alhunt@freepress.com.

Troy Nealey remembered

On the drive from Eaton Rapids to Detroit to rejoin his unit, the conversation between Marine Lance Cpl. Troy Nealey and his mother took that "what-if" turn.

"He said he wanted a memorial to benefit the 4-H kids who won the livestock showman awards," Annette Nealey recalled Tuesday night. "He'd been in 4-H for 10 or 11 years, and he'd shown livestock. Troy wanted the money to go the kids."

Nealey, 24, was killed Sunday in action in Anbar province in Iraq. A Reserve Marine assigned to the Charlie Company in the 1st Battalion, 24th Regiment of the 4th Marine Division, Nealey and the other men of the Michigan-based outfit shipped out last month in one of the largest Michigan deployments to the war in Iraq.

The unit recently completed training at Twentynine Palms, Calif., and is expected to be in Iraq for a seven-month tour of duty. The Defense Department announced Nealey's death Tuesday afternoon.

"He joined the Marines, he didn't go to college," his mother said. "He felt the Marines would give him the opportunity to grow. He joined the Reserve Marines, and he realized the war was on and he might be involved. He was proud to be a Marine."

Nealey had hoped to be an electrician -- his father Norman Nealey is a builder -- but his mother said his heart was really on a farm.

"He loved agriculture," she said. "He was exposed to farm life, and he loved the cattle and crops. If he'd been born on a farm, I think that would have made him the happiest."

His last civilian job before going on active duty was milking cows on a dairy farm, she said.

Nealey's pickup truck showed his colors. "The truck had two stickers," his mother said. "One was 'Cowboy Up,' and the other was the Marines.

A graduate of Eaton Rapids High School, he played sweeper on the soccer squad and anchored relay teams. "He was 5 feet 6, but he had a big heart and a big smile," she said.

In his first e-mail home, Nealey asked his mother to send hard candy that he could hand out to Iraqi kids. Annette Nealey said she and others had started gathering Jolly Ranchers and Beanie Babies when she got the news of his death. She said her son was a realist.

"He told me he was scared, and I told him, 'But, Troy, I want you to be scared. Be smart, be brave, but don't be a hero,' " his mother said. "And he told me he wouldn't be a hero."

Nealey's funeral will be held Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. at Eaton Rapids High School.

EATON RAPIDS - The war in Iraq is hitting home for many in this small community where Marine Lance Cpl. Troy Nealey is being remembered as the "all-American boy."

Nealey, a 2001 graduate of Eaton Rapids High School, died in combat Sunday in Iraq's Al Anbar province, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday.

"He was good-looking, polite, kind and well- regarded by everyone that knew him," Eaton Rapids High School Principal Dave Johnson said.

Nealey, 24, is the first member of the armed forces from this city of 5,330 to be killed in the war. He's the 12th with known ties to mid-Michigan to have died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It's always so tragic listening as the numbers go up," said family friend Rick Smith. "But it didn't really sink in until yesterday. Now, it's really hit home."

Scott Boles, pastor of First Baptist Church of Eaton Rapids, said Nealey's parents and two younger brothers were notified of his death Sunday evening.

"They're so proud of what he's done, but they are deeply grieved," Boles said on the family's behalf. "There's been a great outpouring of support from the community. The family has appreciated that, but now they just need a few days alone."

"We all knew him and really liked him," said Johnson, who announced the loss to the school Monday morning. "I can literally close my eyes and still see him walking down the hall.

"Sometimes I would be leaning against the wall in the hallway as classes changed and he would always make me smile if he walked by. "If he was with a group of people, there would be laughter. He was such a great kid."

Boles got to know the Nealey family - parents Norman and Annette and their sons Troy; Todd, a sophomore at Michigan State University; and Michael, who is in the eighth grade - when he moved into the house next door in 2000. Boles said Troy Nealey was a "respectful kid with a positive outlook" who loved his country. "He was always so approachable," Boles said. "I have never met any kid so respectful of adults."

Nealey was involved in 4-H throughout his childhood, Boles said, and played soccer all four years of high school. He helped his dad, a builder, on construction projects and helped his woodworking teacher run electrical wiring in a pole barn.

In his senior year, the wing defender received the coaches' award. "Kids like him made coaching very enjoyable," said Joe Honsowitz, the Greyhounds' former soccer coach. "He was always positive. I never heard him once be negative about anything. He was a model player."

Friends said Nealey's parents supported his decision to enlist, a decision he made knowing he might not make it home, Boles said. "He knew the dangers, and he was willing to do whatever it took to serve his country," Boles said. "He was just proud to wear that uniform."

From the Lansing State Journal

Marine's mom remembers her fallen son with pride

EATON RAPIDS - Annette Nealey said talking about her son Troy helps bring some comfort.

Marine Lance Cpl. Troy Nealey, a 2001 Eaton Rapids High School graduate, died Oct. 29 while conducting combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq. His death came about a month after he arrived in Iraq with the 24th Marine Regiment.

Troy, 24, was killed when the vehicle in which he was traveling was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, according to information provided to the family by the Marine Corps. Of the four Marines in the vehicle, Troy was killed and another was seriously wounded.

Annette Nealey said it's her understanding the attack came as part of the Iraqi insurgency.

Since news of his death became public, the family has been "overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from this community," she said.

"Troy had a very big heart. He was so generous, fun loving and had a wild sense of humor," she said. "He found humor in everything in life. And he had lots of very close friends."

Troy was a Marine reservist, part of Company C out of Lansing. He joined the Marine Corps in January 2004. Before leaving for Iraq in September, he had trained in California for four months. That training included six weeks of intense preparation at Twentynine Palms, where, Annette said, all Marines headed for Iraq spend time before deployment.

Troy last saw his family - mother Annette, father Norm and his two brothers, Todd and Michael - in early August, when he was home on leave for about a week. Once he arrived in Iraq on Sept. 29, Annette said, she was able to speak to her son three or four times via satellite phone.

"If he could get to a phone, his girlfriend, Lauren Wood, was usually the first one he called. But I was next on the list," she said. Annette last spoke with Troy a week before he was killed. "He said he was getting ready to do his laundry and looking forward to his first shower in a week."

He worried about family

He also said he was worried about the family being worried about him.

"But I told him: 'Troy, you are not going through this alone. You have to realize that what you are going through in this time in your life is important to all of us. (The worst) could happen to anyone at anytime, and we know that.' "

"I know, Mom," she said her son replied.

The family learned of Troy's death last Sunday evening, when several uniformed Marines rang their doorbell.

"It was the stereotypical scene," Annette said. "I remember seeing the Marines' hats come off and those words, 'We regret to inform you.' It didn't seem real."

Despite their grief, the family emphasizes how proud they are of what Troy was doing for his country. "I am very proud of my son," Annette said. "I've always known that men and women would be called to serve their country and to protect what we have here.

In the United States "we can go out for the evening - go to the movies or go to the mall - and not have to worry that we could be attacked, anytime, anywhere. Someone has to protect that."

She said that before Troy left home in August, headed back to California for more training, he was aware of what he was likely heading into. "He said, 'This is what I have been trained to do. I want to go over there, do my job and come home,' " Annette said.

The Nealeys are life-long Eaton Rapids residents. Troy was the oldest of three sons.

Todd, 21, is a junior at Michigan State University and is in Officer Candidate School for the Marines. Once he gets his degree, he will make the decision whether to sign up as an officer, Annette said.

Annette said Troy was always protective of his brothers, especially Todd because of their closeness in age. She said the 24th Marines are known as the "Band of Brothers," and Troy had his own band of brothers growing up.

She said she fondly recalls the close bond between brothers Troy and Todd and their neighbors and friends, Luke and Charlie Betts. Luke also is a Marine and has served in Iraq.

Her family has a long history of military service, Annette said. As a teen, she had dreams of joining the Air Force. Of her six brothers, four were in the service. Two served in Vietnam.

"Our family has never questioned its support of the military," she said. As part of Marine tradition, Troy's body will have an official Marine escort home, Annette said. One of his team leaders during his training, Marine Cpl. Eric Miller, will have that honor.

Memorial service

A memorial service for Troy has been scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Eaton Rapids High School gym. Annette said she sees it as an invitation to the community to celebrate Troy's life.

His friends are being asked to write down some of their memories of Troy to be shared during the service. "There are other boys from Eaton Rapids that will be and have been affected by this, too," Annette said.