Lance Cpl. Jason T. Little Hometown

21, of Wyoming, Mich.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; attached to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Feb. 9 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Fallujah, Iraq.

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Wyo. Marine killed by IED on third Iraq tour

WYOMING, Mich. — The Defense Department on Monday confirmed the death of a Marine from western Michigan who was killed in Iraq.

Cpl. Ross A. Smith, 21, of Wyoming, died Thursday from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces near Fallujah, the department said.

Smith was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Another member of the unit, Pfc. Javier Chavez Jr., 19, of Cutler, Calif., also was killed.

Smith’s death was first reported last week by his parents, who said they were notified of his death at their home near Grand Rapids on Thursday.

Smith was a June 2002 graduate of Wyoming Park High School who enlisted in the Marines before his senior year. He was on his third tour in Iraq and was months away from finishing his four-year obligation to the armed forces when he was killed, his family said.

— Associated Press

By: WILLIAM FINN BENNETT - Staff Writer | Posted: August 19, 2006 12:00 am

CAMP PENDLETON -- One Marine after another filed onto the stage of a Camp Pendleton theater Friday to bid a final farewell to eight of their comrades who died in Iraq during the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment's most recent deployment to Iraq.

As part of a memorial ceremony for the men, eight rifles stood on the stage, each topped with a helmet and draped with dog tags. A young man's photo stood in front of each rifle.

At the end of the ceremony, after most of the 700 Marines and sailors had left the auditorium, dozens of others stayed behind and climbed onto the stage to stand or kneel before the photos of the their fallen brethren. Some just bowed their heads. Others kissed the dog tags or patted the helmets in farewell.

But one Marine lingered on the stage longer than most, his eyes squeezed shut in silent reverence. Finally, Lance Cpl. Scott Kelly, 22, rose, kissed the helmet and dog tags of his friend, Lance Cpl. Rex A. Page, and limped out of the auditorium. Outside, he leaned on the cane he uses after being wounded by a roadside bomb in March. Kelly spoke of the young man he had come to know in Iraq.

Marines place boots in front of each of the eight memorials for Marines with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, who were killed in Iraq, during a memorial service at Camp Pendleton Friday.

"He was my younger Marine; I trained him," Kelly said. "He was an outgoing, happy kid, always willing to help out. He always had a smile on his face."

Page was a 21-year-old rifleman from Kirksville, Mo. He died from combat wounds in late July in the violence-ridden Anbar province.

The other fallen Marines honored Friday were Pfc. Sean T. Cardelli, Cpl. Ross A. Smith, Pfc. Javier Chavez Jr., Lance Cpl. Benito A. Ramirez, Staff Sgt. Raymond J. Plouhar, Cpl. Jason W. Morrow and Lance Cpl. Geofrey R. Cayer.

The Marines who served with the honored troops said they had lost friends and brothers.

After the memorial services, at which he participated as part of the four-man color guard, 18-year-old Cpl. Humberto Soto said he was hit hard by the death of Ramirez, who died fighting in Anbar.

"It's hard to lose a friend, a terrible feeling," Soto said.

Before the men left for Iraq, they took a road trip together to visit Ramirez's family in Edinburg, Texas, Soto said.

"We got to be close," Soto said.

His friend had "lots of plans," he said of Ramirez, who told him he wanted to go to work in his father's trucking business after he got out of the Marine Corps.

Soto said Ramirez was finishing up his third tour of duty in Iraq when he died in combat in May in Anbar province.

"He was about to get out," Soto said. "The morning (he got killed) I saw him wallking to chow -- he was all happy."

The seven-month deployment was not without controversy. The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment suffered a blow when eight of its members were recently charged with kidnapping, murder and related charges in the death of an Iraqi civilian.

The Marines are alleged to have kidnapped 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad from his home in the Iraqi village of Hamdania and bound and shot the man before staging a death scene to make it appear he was planting a roadside bomb.

The first of the initial hearings related to the charges are set to begin next month.

After Friday's memorial service, company Cmdr. Cpt. Monte Powell said he seriously doubted whether the allegations will overshadow the heroic performance of Marines in the regiment.

"People understand -- the truth will come out," Powell said.

Among the other men honored Friday was 19-year-old Hanford resident Chavez, who had just married his childhood sweetheart when he left for Iraq last New Year's Eve for his first tour of duty. A few weeks later, he was killed by a roadside bomb, according to military officials.

Around the same time, the life of Smith, 21, was also cut short by a roadside bomb. Smith, who was from Wyoming, Mich., was on his third tour in Iraq.

Cardelli, 20, was killed during a small-arms fight near the city of Fallujah in early February, according to the Pentagon.

Cayer was 20 years old when he died in July in what military officials called a "nonhostile incident." He was a native of Fitchburg, Mass., a small city near Boston. In an interview with the North County Times around the time of his death, lifelong friend Chris LeBlanc said, "he was proud to be a Marine, and he knew he had a job to do."

The 27-year-old Morrow called Anaheim his home. He was on his third tour when he was killed. Before heading out on his final deployment, the longtime Angels fan received a standing ovation for throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 4 of the American League Championship Series in October.

Plouhar, 30, died from wounds suffered in combat in June, according to Defense Department officials. After his death, The Associated Press reported that he was one of the recruiters featured in a segment of Michael Moore's scathing anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11."

Father Raymond Plouhar told reporters his son willingly participated in the movie but didn't know the movie was critical of the war. His father also said his son, who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1996, took four years off from active duty to serve as a recruiter after donating one of his kidneys to his uncle.

Plouhar told reporters at the time that he was steadfast in his opinions on the war.

"If we walk out now, my son died for nothing and that will make me mad," he said.

After Friday's service, Maj. Gen. Jay Paxton stood at the edge of the stage offering his condolences to family members as they made their way up the stairs.

Afterwards, the 1st Marine Division's Paxton said that the memorial service was "a most appropriate and fitting recognition of the valor of service of these eight Marines.

"They made us all better, lifted us all up," Paxton said.

His feelings were echoed by Temecula resident Cpl. Ryan Hapney, who said that most of the Marines in 3/5, as it is known, live together, play together and fight together.

This is "like a final goodbye; it's very touching," Hapney said.

Marine Corps officials said family members of the men asked not to be interviewed by the press.

- Contact staff writer William Finn Bennett at (760) 740-5426, or wbennett@nctimes.com.

Posted in Local on Saturday, August 19, 2006 12:00 am Updated: 5:38 am.

Staff Sgt. Curtis T. Howard II



Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.

Age: 32 years old

Died: February 22, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Unit: Army, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle near Balad.

Curtis Tyrone Howard II

Howard, Curtis Tyrone II Ann Arbor, MI Staff Sergeant Curtis Tyrone Howard II, 32, served his country with honor and distinction in Iraq and Kuwait. He was a member of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. On Febru ary 22, 2006, while on his second tour of duty during a mission in the town of Balad, Curtis made the ultimate, heroic sacrifice. Born in Birmingham, AL, June 18, 1973, Curtis attended Ann Arbor Public Schools and graduated from Huron High School in 1991. While at Huron, he ex celled as an athlete and was a member of the varsity basket ball team. After graduation, Curtis attended Alabama State University in Montgomery, AL. His father had served in the Army and Curtis followed his dad's footsteps and enlisted in the United States Army on April 28, 1993. He was a military man. A professional soldier who was dedicated and committed to his family and to his country. He was stationed at Ft. Carson, CO. and served in Bosnia, Kuwait, South Korea and Iraq. Curtis married Icela on August 24, 1994 in Junction City, Kansas. He leaves to cherish his memory two sons, Dominic and Christion, a daughter Tatiana and their mother Icela of Colorado Springs, CO., and daughter Valencia Williams of Phoenix, AZ. Parents Curtis T. and Linda B. Howard, and sister Marquita Y. Howard of Ann Arbor, MI. He was preceded in death by his older sister Tamara Denise and Grandfather Herbert. Curtis al so leaves to cherish his memory, his loving Grandparents, Mary T. Howard, and John D. and Hattie Brown of Birming ham, AL. Four aunts, Gloria H. Franklin of Silver Spring, MD, Diane Reynolds, Joyce and Adrienne Brown all of Birming ham, AL. Four uncles, Herbert T. Howard (Marie) of Charlotte, NC, Johnny and Harold Brown of Long Beach, CA, and Eric Brown of Birmingham, AL. Great Uncle David Howard, (af fectionately known as Uncle Buddy) of Birmingham, AL. He leaves great uncles, great aunts, a host of cousins, a host of friends and four special friends, Kareem Harris of Au gusta, GA., Noah and Corey Maurer and Ricco Rowry of Ann Arbor. The family will receive friends 2-4 and 6-8 p.m., Friday, March 3, 2006 at the Nie Family Funeral Home, 2400 Carpenter Rd. Funeral Services will be held 11:00 am, Saturday, March 4, 2006 at Second Baptist Church, 850 Red Oak, Ann Ar bor, where Rev. Mark J. Lyons, is the pastor. Rev. Dr. Joseph N. Cousin, pastor of Bethel AME Church will be officiating and delivering the eulogy. Cur tis will be laid to rest with full military honors at Arborcrest Memorial Park, 2521 Glazier Way. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Curtis T. Howard, II, Children's Scholarship Fund, please make checks payable to Curtis T. Howard, Sr. To read his life story, sign the guestbook and to leave a memory, please visit his personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com.

32, of Ann Arbor, Mich.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; killed Feb. 22 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley fighting vehicle near Balad, Iraq. Also killed were Sgt. Gordon F. Misner II and Spc. Thomas J. Wilwerth.

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Michigan flags lowered in honor of Ann Arbor soldier, comrades

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered that U.S. flags across the state be lowered to half-staff Monday and Tuesday in honor of Michigan military personnel who recently died while on active duty in Iraq.

On Monday, flags should be lowered to honor Army Staff Sgt. Curtis T. Howard II of Ann Arbor. Howard, 32, died Feb. 22 when a roadside bomb went off near his vehicle near Balad.

Howard was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colo.

On Tuesday, flags should be lowered to honor Army Pfc. Allan A. Morr of Byron. Morr, 21, died Feb. 22 when an improvised explosive device detonated during patrol operations in Hawijah.

Morr was assigned to the Army’s 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky.

— Associated Press

Curtis T. Howard II

Wednesday, March 01 2006 @ 04:57 AM MST www.mercurynews.com -- ANN ARBOR, Mich. - An Army staff sergeant from Michigan has been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, his family said in a statement. Curtis T. Howard II, 32, was on his second tour in Iraq as a member of the Army's 4th Infantry Division when the incident occurred. The Army had not released details of Howard's death, but it said on Thursday that three 4th Infantry soldiers were killed Wednesday when their vehicle struck a bomb near Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad. Friends and family members gathered Thursday afternoon at the Ann Arbor home of Howard's parents, Curtis and Linda. John Woods, a family friend, read a statement saying the family was devastated by Howard's death. "Right now, it's all very hard to comprehend. Our hearts and prayers go out to other members of our son's unit, the 4th Infantry Division, who also made this ultimate sacrifice. Curtis loved the military. He was a wonderful son, father and brother. This was the career he chose. We certainly respect and honor his choice," Woods said. The minister at Howard's church, Bethel AME, recently read a letter from Howard to the congregation, said Joetta Mial, former principal at Huron High School, from where Howard graduated in 1991. "It was about a friend of his that was just killed and he wrote, `Say a prayer for his parents,'" said Mial, a church member. "I got the funniest feeling. It was, `My gosh. I hope he hurries up and gets home,'" Mial told The Ann Arbor News. Edward Klum, an assistant coach when Howard played on Huron's basketball team, remembered Howard taking responsibility for a loss in a big game. "Right after the game, he came up to me and said, `Coach. I didn't play hard enough,'" Klum said. "That's just the kind of kid he was."