Thursday, November 02, 2006

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Gary A. Koehler killed in combat

Gary Koehler, who graduated in 2003 and recently married, died during a battle believed to be on Tuesday. The Department of Defense did not release details of his death as of this morning. However, news of Mr. Koehler's death traveled fast through the Milan community.

High school coaches and school officials remembered Mr. Koehler as a dedicated athlete who volunteered to be deployed to the war a second time even after suffering a gunshot wound about 1½ years ago.

Milan football Coach Steve Robb remembered visiting with Mr. Koehler, who showed him his scar after he was shot in the thigh. Coach Robb assumed at the time that his former defensive lineman was done with the war, but Mr. Koehler chose to be redeployed.

"He said he had to go back because he couldn't let down the guys in his platoon," Coach Robb said this morning.

"He was a warrior. He wanted to do what he could for his country."

Mr. Koehler married Hilary Moss, who was on the Milan swim team. The couple reportedly had a civil ceremony and was planning a formal wedding ceremony later.

Mr. Koehler's parents moved to New Mexico and could not be reached for comment. His wife's family members, who live in Ypsilanti, declined to comment.

While at Milan, Mr. Koehler played football and baseball. In football, he was named first team All-Huron League and was the second leading tackler on the team in his senior year, Coach Robb said.

He was first team All-Region in football as well.

"He was a high school football coach's dream," he said. "He set goals for himself and worked very hard to achieve those goals."

Adam Gilles said he coached Mr. Koehler in baseball all four years of his high school career. He was a starting leftfielder.

"He was a leader on the team and it didn't matter how old he was," Coach Gilles said. "He would just go all out all the time. He was a great kid. Everybody liked him."

Coach Gilles said Mr. Koehler was probably the best hitter on the team in his senior year and was a natural leader. He said that would explain his desire to join the Marines.

"It takes a special person to be a Marine," Coach Gilles said. "He was the type of kid who could do it. Everyone wanted to be around him."

Coach Gilles said Mr. Koehler was expected to come home a week ago but was held over. He was then killed during the extended stay.

Coach Robb said when they last spoke, Mr. Koehler told him he was trying to be trained as a sniper. He wasn't sure if he succeeded his goal. But Coach Robb said knowing Mr. Koehler the way he did, he would not be surprised if he achieved everything he set out to be.

From the Monroe News

Staff Sgt. Gregory W.G. McCoy



Hometown: Webberville, Michigan, U.S.

Age: 26 years old

Died: November 9, 2006 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Unit: Army, 410th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Tex.

Incident: Killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle.

From: BC-MS--Iraq-Mspi Casualty McCoy joined the Army straight out of school and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. His mother, Carol Johnson, of Howell, Mich., told the Daily Press and Argus newspaper in Livingston, Mich., she was proud of her son's choice in joining the service. Johnson said the last time she saw McCoy was for Mother's Day, just weeks before he was deployed. She said her son enjoyed snowboarding and had a dry sense of humor. On McCoy's first tour of duty, help helped train Iraqi police, his mother said. "He felt they were doing a lot of good there," she said. McCoy's survivors include his wife, Lori, and two sons, Logan, 6, and Tyler, 3, who all live in Texas. McCoy will be buried at a national cemetery in Texas, Johnson said.

To place in his casket, Gregory W.G. McCoy's family from Michigan brought a bag of dirt from the backyard of the small-town home in which he grew up. It was in that backyard that his mother Carol Johnson remembers him playing games like E.T. and War. Now she was watching him being buried in Texas, a state thousands of miles away. Johnson said it was difficult but necessary for her grandsons and her daughter-in-law, Lori, who live in Texas. "His dad and I discussed it," she said. "I said to him, 'You've got to remind me to be fair.' I want him back, but Lori's got to be able to take her sons there and explain to them what a hero their daddy is." McCoy, 26, of Webberville, Mich., was killed Nov. 9 in Baghdad by a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Hood and was on his second tour. Johnson said the last time she saw her son was for Mother's Day, just weeks before he was deployed. "I think it was the first time I had both of my kids with me on Mother's Day in 15 years," Johnson said. "It was great. Greg treated us all to dinner afterward." He is survived by two sons, Logan, 6, and Tyler, 3.

Bryan K. Burgess' uncle, Rich Cormier, said his nephew was friendly and kindhearted. "There wasn't a malicious bone in Bryan's body," Cormier said. "I would say, 'Bryan, you gotta bring the hammer down on this guy?' and he'd say, 'Aw, nah,' and he'd just move on. I don't think revenge was in his vocabulary." Burgess, 35, of Garden City, Mich., was killed by a sniper on Nov. 9 in Fallujah. He was assigned to Perrysburg. No task was too menial for Burgess to lend a hand, said his fellow soldiers. Whether that meant performing routine duties or cleaning latrines, Burgess was always pitching in. "That's how he gained the respect of his men," said Sgt. Vaskin Badalow. "It didn't matter what the task was... he didn't put his rank on a pedestal." If one of his subordinates needed a rest, Burgess would stand his watch. If somebody in his reserve unit screwed up, Burgess would raise his hand and take the hit for it. An avid skier in winter and an avid motorcyclist in summer, Burgess worked as a framer building houses after graduating high school. He is survived by his mother, Evelyn, and his father, Rex.

A U.S. Marine reservist from the Detroit area who was assigned to a Perrysburg-based division was killed in combat Thursday in western Iraq, the Department of Defense announced yesterday.

He was assigned to the Perrysburg-based First Battalion of the Marine Corps Reserve's 24th Marine Regiment of the Fourth Division.

In Memory of Sgt. Bryan K. Burgess

Published: November 22, 2006

Story by Lance Cpl. Stephen McGinnis

Marines of 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment paused to honor a man who gave his life for the cost of freedom.

A Marine assigned to Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment salutes before a memorial for Sgt. Bryan K. Burgess, who was killed in action Nov. 9, 2006. Marines from 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 paused Nov. 18 at Camp Baharia to honor Burgess. (photo by Lance Cpl. Stephen McGinnis)

The battalion held a memorial service for Sgt. Bryan K Burgess at Camp Baharia Nov 18. Burgess was a 35-year-old machine gunner from Westland, Mich., assigned to Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment.

Burgess was killed Nov. 9 while conducting combat operations with Regimental Combat Team 5 in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"Sgt. Burgess was the epitome of a sergeant of Marines," said Lt. Col. Harold Van Opdorp, a 39-year-old battalion commander from Stafford, Va. "He fit the mold of a sergeant of Marines like no other."

"Bryan held such a love for his country that he felt it was worth sacrificing his life for," Van Opdorp said. "We know this because he was one of many Marines that volunteered to deploy to Iraq with Weapons Company, another kid that didn't have to, but wanted to because it was the right thing to do."

Marines who knew Burgess spoke of his love for his Marines and his Irish heritage. They also spoke of his infectious smile that will always be remembered.

"In Burgess' case, his ability to smile and generate a smile on virtually anyone who observed him under some of the most trying circumstance was infectious," said Maj. Gregory Cramer, Weapons Company's commander. "I would ask that each one of us rededicate and devote ourselves to the memory of Burgess, to one and another, dig down deep to find that extra step and use it for the good Burgess would want us to use it."

Sgt. David Payne knew Burgess for more than five years and will always remember him for his love of his country and of his heritage.

"Most of us remember him as a wiry Irishman," Payne said. "He would give you the shirt off his back and the money out of his pocket, and his only regret would be that he couldn't give you more."

Jackson II, Staff Sergeant William S. "Jack'' Saginaw, Michigan A local memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 25, 2006, at First Baptist Church of Bridgeport located at 2400 King Road at 11:00 a.m. His burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery. A trust has been established for his children. Donations may be made to the Jackson Family Memorial Fund in care of Wanigas Federal Credit Union, 4026 Shattuck, Saginaw, MI 48603.

William S. Jackson II Staff Sergeant, United States Army

U. S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release  IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1156-06 November 14, 2006 DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died November 11, 2006, in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. All soldiers were assigned to the 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Giessen, Germany.      Killed were: Staff Sergeant William S. Jackson II, 29, of Saginaw, Michigan Staff Sergeant Misael Martinez, 24, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina Sergeant Angel De Jesus Lucio Ramirez, 22, of Pacoima, California For further information related to this release the media can contact the 1st Armored Division public affairs office at 011-49-611-705-4859. 15 November 2006: A Saginaw Township father of four who had survived a tour of duty in Afghanistan was killed on Veterans Day by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Army Staff Sergeant William S. Jackson II, known to friends and family as Jack, died along with two of his comrades when their vehicle was blown up Saturday in Ramadi. In this undated photo released by his family, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant William S. Jackson II, 29, of  Saginaw, Michigan, is shown with his wife and children. Jackson is one of three soldiers who died  from an explosive detonated near their vehicle in Ramadi, Iraq, November 11, 2006. All were assigned  to the 1st Battalion, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, in Giessen, Germany Jackson, 29, was a native of Maine who moved to the Saginaw area after he met his Michigan-born wife, Katie, said his mother-in-law, Kathy Layer. The couple had met at Northland Baptist Bible College in Dunbar, Wisconsin. "He just lived to get home and be back with his family again," Layer said. "He was just a great husband and a great father." Jackson's last visit home came after the birth of his only daughter six months ago. His death leaves the children, all younger than six, to be raised by his widow. "Her family is here, so she does have the support of her family and certainly her church family, as well," said Pastor Mark Hazen of Immanuel Bible Church in Saginaw. Jackson was serving in the Marines when he fought in Afghanistan. He left that branch of the service after returning to the United States, his mother-in-law said. "He was out for a time, and then he went into the Army," Layer said. "He comes from a very military family, and this was a goal his whole life. It was a mutual decision, though" between him and his wife "when he went back in." Jackson was serving in the 1st Battalion, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, based in Giessen, Germany. Funeral arrangements are pending. "They're just a wonderful family," Hazen said of the Jacksons. "Certainly Jack loved the Lord and loved his family. He loved his wife, and he loved his country. He was a wonderful man, and we'll dearly miss him." Layer agreed. "It's very difficult," she said. "But Jack was a Christian. He knew the Lord was his savior, and we believe he's in heaven today. And that's a great comfort to us."17 November 2006: The family of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant William S. "Jack" Jackson II has decided to have him buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, said his widow, Katie M. Jackson, 31. The service will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 29, 2006. Jackson, a Saginaw Township resident, died in Iraq on Saturday -- Veterans Day -- with two fellow soldiers when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. He was 29. "We will have a local memorial later, but we don't have any time or place set yet," Katie Jackson said Thursday. "We're waiting for my brother, Benjamin E. Layer, to get back from his missionary work in Poland." The soldiers were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, as members of the 1st Battalion, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, headquartered in Giessen, Germany, military records show. Jackson, who grew up in Thomaston, Maine, served in the U.S. Marines for four years -- 1998-2002 -- before joining the Army. While in the Marines, he served in Afghanistan. He was in Iraq since the beginning of the year, Department of Defense officials said. Besides his wife, Jackson leaves four children: Zachariah W. Jackson, 6; Levi D. Jackson, 4; Samuel M. Jackson, 2; and Hannah S. Jackson, 7 months. FAMILY SAYS GOODBYE TO SLAIN SOLDIER COURTESY OF THE SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, NEWS More than 300 people paid tribute to another fallen soldier Saturday during an hour-long service commemorating U.S. Army Staff Sergeant William S. "Jack" Jackson II of Saginaw Township, Michigan. The memorial featured tearful eulogies, a photo album presentation and memories of a 29-year-old man who "seemed to know a little about everything." Jackson died in Iraq on November 11, 2006 - Veterans Day - with two fellow soldiers when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. His family plans to bury the Thomaston, Maine, native at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia during a 9 a.m. Wednesday funeral. Saturday's service at First Baptist Church of Bridgeport, 2400 King, began with a eulogy by Rev. Mark Hazen, who told the crowd about Jackson's worldly, friendly nature via a letter sent by one of the soldiers stationed with Jackson in Iraq. "Jack was awesome at everything he did," Hazen read from a letter authored by James O'Connell. O'Connell wrote about Jackson's overseas efforts to learn Arabic and musical instruments such as the penny whistle and ukulele. "Our neighbors preferred his ukulele to the penny whistle," O'Connell's correspondence continued, getting a laugh from the audience. The letter went on to paint a picture of a man who loved the coast of Maine and often told tales of the industry associated with the port. "It was expected that every night there was fish on the menu, we would hear another fish story," the letter continued. O'Connell described Jackson's prankster streak, which he exercised by writing "ridiculous" entries in other people's journals, setting mouse traps on the floors of sleeping bunkmates and convincing one fellow soldier with Irish lineage that his family actually descended from Wales. A musical photo presentation followed, setting the soft strumming sounds of a guitar alongside a video montage of Jackson's life -- from a childhood playing across Maine's coastline to his last visit to Saginaw in April for the birth of his daughter, Hannah S. Jackson. His other children are Zachariah W. Jackson, 6; Levi D. Jackson, 4; and Samuel M. Jackson, 2. Jackson's brother-in-law, Benjamin E. Layer, delivered the day's final eulogy. He compared Jackson's life to the white gold band that made his wedding ring. "When white gold is mined, it has no value," Layer said. "It has great potential. First, it has to be heated up, filed, then a jeweler can make it into something very valuable." Jackson lived life trying to make the most of it, Layer said: "Jack didn't die in vain." The service ended with a 21-gun salute from soldiers outside the church. Jackson served in the U.S. Marines for four years -- 1998-2002 -- before joining the Army. While in the Marines, he served in Afghanistan. He supported Operation Iraqi Freedom in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, as a member of the 1st Battalion, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, headquartered in Giessen, Germany, military records show. He was in Iraq since the beginning of the year. Jackson met his future wife, Katie M. Jackson, 31, while both were attending Northland Baptist Bible College in Dunbar, Wisconsin. Both joined the military. The couple later relocated to the Saginaw area so they could live closer to her relatives. With a growing family, Jackson left the service after his eight-month tour in Afghanistan and was thinking about returning to college to study marine biology.Posted: 18 November 2006 Updated: 26 November 2006 Updated: 3 December 2006 Updated: 3 February 2007

Sgt. 1st Class James D. Priestap, 39, of Harwood, Mich., died Nov. 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when he came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during checkpoint operations.

Posted by Kim Priestap

My husband, Steve, and I received some very sad news Thanksgiving evening. Steve's cousin, Army Sgt.1st Class James Priestap, was shot and killed by a terrorist sniper while working at a checkpoint near Baghdad. He was wearing body armor, but he hit was in the shoulder, and the bullet went into his heart killing him instantly.

We found out a couple of days after his death that he actually wasn't supposed to be at the checkpoint at the time, but the generator blew out. Apparently, two other guys were assigned to go out and restart it, but, since Jim was in charge of the platoon, he went out instead because he felt responsible for his men. It was then that he was shot. That was Jim, always putting the well-being of his men before himself. And helping others was what Jim was all about. After Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf coast region, he traveled to New Orleans and spent a month there to help rebuild the area and assist those whose lives had been turned upside down.

Jim's father wrote this about him in an email which he sent to us shortly after Jim's death:

[H]e always believed, and proved, that being mediocre in life wasn't for him. Like when he was a kid and was called "little Jimmy" until he became captain of the high school football team. I remember talking with his ship mates once when he was in the Navy in San Diego and they said he was the top sailor on the ship in all ways, and they hoped he'd go to OCS and become their officer. As you probably know, he became a Navy Diver (next thing to his dream of being a Navy Seal), a small plane pilot, and after we spent many study hours together he became a Deputy Sheriff in Florida--getting the highest score in his class. That eventually enabled him, Connie & the kids to get back to the families and area they loved.

Then he worked like a dog on the old house they bought to get it ready for a UP winter for Connie and the kids, before he left for Iraq. For example, 1,000 sheets of drywall were hung. He and Connie did a beautiful job on it. Then in his "spare time" from that and his job (working nights--so he usually didn't get enough sleep-- he helped [his brother-in-law] Mark and [nephew] Mason put a roof on their garage--just before he left. Jim was ALWAYS helping others.

The time we worked together repairing their Florida house so they could sell it and move back to the UP, and then together painting their house this past summer before Jim left is a time I'll always cherish.

But you know, in spite of Jim's many "accomplishments" in such a busy schedule, the best thing about Jim was how wonderful & attentive a father he was. Frankie and Brody adored Jim, for good reason.

His funeral is scheduled for this weekend, and about 3,000 people are expected to attend, including 200 Patriot Guard riders who will escort Jim's body to the cemetery in the Upper Peninsula town in which he grew up.

If you wouldn't mind, please think of and say a prayer for Jim's wife, Connie, and their two kids, Francesca and Brody, as well as his sister, mother, and father as they cope with Jim's sudden death. It will be especially difficult during this Christmas season.

We love you Jim, and you will be missed by all those whose lives you touched. You died a hero, and we will always be so grateful for your sacrifice.

Update: Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Sgt. James Priestap Memorial Trust Fund at either First National Bank and Trust of Iron Mountain at 231 S. Stephenson Ave. Iron Mountain, MI 49801 or the Range Bank of Kingsford at 345 Carpenter Ave. Kingsford, Michigan, 49802.

Update II: I found a post written by a soldier, Matt, who served under Jim and who was with him when he died. I posted it briefly on Tuesday but took it down because Jim's family hadn't seen it yet. Now that they have, I am going to repost it because it's an amazing but heartbreaking tribute to Jim as a person, a soldier, and a leader.

In memory of SFC James Priestap (my platoon sgt.). Killed by a sniper at Checkpoint 17 while distributing food and water to the Iraqi Police. Moments before his death, he was smiling and giving candy to the kids in the area. He was a man with a wife and 2 kids, ages 11 and 9. I had to help load his body in the backseat of my humvee and then loaded him onto the MEDEVAC helicopter. I had in my posession a camo pattern angel that i carried for my own good luck charm. Before we got him on the helicopter, i placed the angel on his body and said a prayer to help him on his way to Heaven. He will now be living in eternal happines and we all have another guardian angel watching over us. The expression on his face is something that is forever burned into my memory and i'll never forget it. It was most certainly a life altering experience and I now have a whole different outlook on life in general. This man was one of the greatest leaders in our company. He had a huge heart and he would do absolutely anything for his soldiers that were under his command. This incident may have dented our morale here, but we will NOT stand down and we will NOT back away. We will be back out at Checkpoint 17 soon and those motherfuckers better be ready to die. They may think they've had a victory on thanksgiving day but they haven't seen the wrath of my squad and the sheer anger we now have growing inside us all. After we took SFC Priestap's weapon we divided up the rounds in the magazine to everyone in the squad. The first round in the chamber of our M4 rifles is one of his tracer rounds and it will be the first round out of the barrel in his name. He will not have died in vain.

On Wednesday afternoon, I had a wonderful IM conversation with Matt and had the opportunity to thank him for his kind words as well as his service to our country.

Update III:

Steve and I are so grateful for everyone's kind words of support and sympathy for Jim's family as well as for us. While Steve and I are heartbroken about Jim's death, our thoughts and prayers are with Connie and her kids as they try to get through this difficult time. Losing Jim is hard enough for them to begin with, but losing him on Thanksgiving day makes the hurt so much more intense.

Again, thank you.
IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (AP) -- A National Guard soldier from the Upper Peninsula was killed in Iraq on Thanksgiving Day, military authorities said.

Army Sgt. 1st Class James D. Priestap, 39, of Hardwood, was fatally shot while on duty at a checkpoint in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 46th Military Police Company in Kingsford.

Priestap was among 60 members of the unit, which was deployed to Iraq on July 9. They had trained in Fort Dix, N.J., for six weeks before heading to the combat zone.

"Jim was the type of guy that everybody liked," Mary Oman, a friend of Priestap's from Breitung Township in Dickinson County, told The Daily News of Iron Mountain for a Monday story. "He was a great guy to be around. You never saw him without a smile on his face."

Priestap was a 1985 graduate of North Dickinson High School, where coach Joe Reddinger remembered him as a good football player.

"Jim was always upbeat about everything he did," Reddinger said. "He was very passionate about playing sports and always went full force. He was a natural leader."

HARDWOOD - Sgt. First Class James Priestap, 39, of Hardwood, went to be with Jesus in heaven on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 2006.

He was born on June 2, 1967, in Royal Oak, lower Michigan.

James was a resident of the Foster City area since 1970 and graduated from North Dickinson High School in 1985. He attended Ferris State and NMU. He was a substitute teacher at several schools. He joined the U.S. Navy and was a rescue swimmer and a fireman in damage control maintenance. He received special honors for his heroic efforts for removing an individual from a blazing fire. Jim also served as a specialist in chemical and biological warfare.

Young boys and girls have dreams of becoming a policeman, fireman, pilot, diver, welder, sailor or soldier. Jim Priestap was each one of these and more. His career included work as a deputy in Sarasota, Fla., a police officer at the Iron Mountain Veteran's Administration Medical Center, and a deputy for the Dickinson County Sheriff's Department. He also served to support Hurricane Katrina victims. Jim also enjoyed hunting.

He married Constance Harder on June 11, 1994, in Felch.

He is survived by his wife, Constance; his son, Brody and his daughter, Franchesca; his guardian son, Josh Headford; his parents, Roy and Denise Forstrom of Foster City and James and Patrice Robinson of North Carolina; his grandmother, Helen Mattson of Felch; his brothers, Allen (Renee) Forstrom of Felch, Troy (Joanne) Forstrom of Lunenburg, Mass. and Rich Robinson of Florida; his sisters, Lisa (Mark) Balicki of Iron Mountain and Janet (Rodney) Anderson of Norway; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Douglas and Emmy Lou Harder of Felch; Connie's seven sisters, Kelly (Jim) Challancin of Felch, Kim (Chris) Colavecchi of Iron Mountain, Candie (Kevin) Colavecchi (Connie's twin sister) of Iron Mountain, Katie (Abe) Lewis of Iron Mountain, Karen (Brad) Ellis of Iron Mountain, Cassie Harder and (fiance, Peter Rittenhouse) of Iron Mountain, and Corrie (Dean) Ellis of Orlando, Fla., many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation will be held on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Kingsford Armory.

There will also be a visitation on Monday, from 11 a.m. to 12 noon at the Kingsford Armory. Funeral services will be held on Monday at 12 noon at the Kingsford Armory. Pastor Terry Priestap, James' uncle, will officiate with Pastor Carl Hammer.

Burial, with full military honors, will be in the Foster City Cemetery.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jim Challancin, Jon Wagner, Allen Forstrom, Troy Forstrom, Rodney Anderson, Mark Balicki, Rich Robinson, Josh Headford, Mike Mooney, Tony Cousineau, Peter Rittenhouse, Abe Lewis, Chris Colavecchi, Kevin Colavecchi, Brad Ellis, Dean Ellis, Paul Holton, Matt Pacino, Steve Romatz, Dennis Romatz, Dennis Goovert, James Mather, and Robert Rosales.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Sgt. James Priestap Memorial Trust Fund at either First National Bank and Trust of Iron Mountain at 231 S. Stephenson Ave. Iron Mountain, MI 49801 or the Range Bank of Kingsford at 345 Carpenter Ave. Kingsford, Michigan, 49802.

Condolences may be expressed to the family of Sgt. First Class James Priestap online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com.

The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon and Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the funeral arrangements.