Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski, Jr. Hometown

2009

As a father, Philip E. Windorski Jr. spent time with his children and helped coach football and baseball. His wife said that he was famous for his home-brewed beer and it was his hope to open a microbrewery after retiring from the military. "My husband was proud to be in the military, but he loved being an aviator," Karin Windorski said. "But once he was out of that uniform, he was all about his family. He loved us and he was a devoted husband and my best friend." Windorski, 35, of Bovey, Minn., was killed Jan. 26 when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed in Kirkuk. He was a 1991 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Drum. He was on his third tour of duty in Iraq and had also deployed to Bosnia for five months following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. His mother, Ruth Windorski, said that being in the Army "was all he ever he wanted to do, and he died doing what he truly loved." He married his wife, a fellow soldier stationed at Fort Hood, on July 4, 1998. He also is survived by his two children, Austin, 9, and Emmalyn, 6; and stepdaughter, Miranda, 14.

Posted: Monday, February 9, 2009 12:00 am | Updated: 5:10 pm, Wed Nov 25, 2009.

After offering up the ultimate sacrifice of his life for his country, a funeral for a Grand Rapids native was held at Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids Saturday afternoon.

Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski, Jr., 35, was killed near Kirkuk, Iraq on Jan. 26 when the helicopter he was in collided with another. He was one of four soldiers killed in the crash.

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Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. Windorski

35, of Bovey, Minn.; assigned to the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Jan. 26 in Kirkuk, Iraq, from wounds sustained when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew G. Kelley, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua M. Tillery and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Benjamin H. Todd.

Soldier was close to retirement

The Associated Press

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — A Minnesota woman says her son was among four Americans killed when two U.S. helicopters crashed in northern Iraq.

Ruth Windorski of Grand Rapids says she learned Monday that her 36-year-old son, Philip Windorski Jr., was among those killed in the single deadliest incident for U.S. troops in four months.

Philip Windorski grew up in Grand Rapids, in northern Minnesota, and was recently stationed out of Fort Drum, N.Y.

His mother says Windorski was a couple of years away from retirement, but planned to re-up. She says he was on his third tour of Iraq. He leaves behind a wife and three children.

His mother says Windorski “was a great pilot, and he loved the Army more than anything.”

A U.S. military statement says the crash did not appear to be a result of hostile fire.

His death brings to 75 the number of people with strong Minnesota ties who have died in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Birth:	Aug. 16, 1973 Hennepin County Minnesota, USA
Death:	Jan. 26, 2009, Iraq
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. Windorski, 35, of Bovey, Minn.; assigned to the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Jan. 26 in Kirkuk, Iraq, from wounds sustained when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew G. Kelley, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua M. Tillery and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Benjamin H. Todd.    Family links:   Parents:   Philip Eugene Windorski (1946 - 2008)
Burial: Arlington National Cemetery Arlington Arlington County Virginia, USA Plot: Sec 60 Site 9065
Created by: Bernadette Record added: Jan 26, 2009 Find A Grave Memorial# 33292636

He will be escorted home by his best friend and fellow Army Aviator, CW3 Christopher Ashe. The full military honors funeral will be held at 1 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, at Zion Lutheran Church at 2901 South Highway 169, Grand Rapids. Visitation at Rowe Funeral Home will be provided from 4-7 p.m. on the preceding day, Friday, Feb. 6.

Born on August 16, 1973, in Minneapolis, MN to Philip Windorski, Sr. and Ruth (Seavey) Windorski.  He was the first of their three children, all sons.  He attended Grand Rapids High School, graduating with Honors in 1991.  Immediately after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army.

He met and married Karin (Clark), a fellow soldier stationed at Fort Hood, TX, on July 4, 1998.  Phil and Karin have two children, Austin (9) and Emmalyn (6).  Phil was also a devoted step-father to Karin’s oldest daughter, Miranda (14).

During high school, Phil was an employee of Forest Lake Restaurant in Grand Rapids, MN.  After enlisting in the U.S. Army, Phil was an OH-58 A/C crewchief assigned to 1-227th AVN in Fort Hood, TX.  In 1998, he was selected for entry to the Warrant Officer Corps as a Rotary Wing Aviator.  He completed his aviation training as a Honor Graduate at Fort Rucker, AL in 1999.  His next assignment, at Fort Polk, LA, was his first as an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior pilot.  He was deployed to Bosnia from 2001-2002 and then to Baghdad, Iraq from 2003-2004 with 4/2 ACR.  Following his return from Iraq, Phil was selected to become an Instructor Pilot for the U.S. Army.  He was instrumental in teaching and mentoring the next generation of OH-58D Kiowa Warrior pilots at Fort Rucker, AL. Following his teaching assignment, he moved on to 6/6 CAV, Fort Drum, NY, where he was assigned as the Standardization Pilot and was the senior aviator for Bravo Troop.

He was an avid history buff with a passion for the Early American and Civil War eras, as well as Roman history.  He also loved his involvement with his local little league and recreation department football teams. He had a thirst for life, and good beer, which led him to study and master the art of homebrewing.  In his own opinion, he was a great golfer and sharpshooting hunter as well.  His passion was flying helicopters, but his true joy was found in time spent with his wife and children.

CW3 Windorski’s awards and achievements include 2 Air Medals, 5 Army Commendation Medals, 5 Army Achievement Medals, 2 Presidential Unit Citations, 2 Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal w/ Bronze Service Star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with bronze service star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Senior Army Aviator Badge, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge and posthumously, the Bronze Star Medal.

Surviving besides his wife, Karin, are his children, a son, Austin; a daughter, Emmalyn; a step-daughter, Miranda; his mother, Ruth of Grand Rapids, MN; two brothers and a sister-in-law, Bruce of Shawano, WI and Scott and Patty (Dowling) of Grand Rapids, MN.  He was also uncle to Bruce’s children, Kyra and  Logan, and Scott’s son, Owen. He is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.  He also leaves behind his beloved dog, Maximus Moose.

He was preceded in death by his father, Philip Windorski, Sr., a United States Navy veteran, and his grandparents William Windorski, Muriel (Cartie) Windorski, Joseph Seavey, Ethel (Anderson) Thompson, and his step-grandmother Marilyn Seavey.

He will be escorted home by his best friend and fellow Army Aviator, CW3 Christopher Ashe.  The full military honors funeral will be held at 1:00 p.m., on Saturday, February 7th, 2009, at Zion Lutheran Church at 2901 South Highway 169, Grand Rapids.  Visitation at Rowe Funeral Home will be provided from 4-7 p.m. on the preceding day, Friday, February 6th.

Services also provided by Rowe Funeral Home & Crematory, 510 NW First Avenue, Grand Rapids, MN. Please contact for more information. 218-326-6505 or 1-800-557-5502

Donations may be made to the Philip Windorski, Jr. Memorial Fund, c/o First National Bank of Deerwood, 516 S. Pokegama Ave., Grand Rapids, MN 55744. (218) 327-4833.

Philip E Windorski, Jr. Chief Warrant Officer, United States Army

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release   IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 066-09 January 29, 2009   DoD Identifies Army Casualties The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died from wounds suffered when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed January 26, 2009, in Kirkuk, Iraq. They were assigned to the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York. Killed were: Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski, Jr., 35, of Bovey, Minnesota  Chief Warrant Officer Matthew G. Kelley, 30, of Cameron, Missouri  Chief Warrant Officer Joshua M. Tillery, 31, of Beaverton, Oregon  Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin H. Todd, 29, of Colville, Washington The incident is under investigation. For further information contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286. 26 January 2009:   A Minnesota woman says her son was among four Americans killed when two U.S. helicopters crashed in northern Iraq. Ruth Windorski of Grand Rapids says she learned Monday that her 36-year-old son, Philip Windorski Jr., was among those killed in the single deadliest incident for U.S. troops in four months. Philip Windorski grew up in Grand Rapids, in northern Minnesota, and was recently stationed out of Fort Drum, New York. His mother says Windorski was a couple of years away from retirement, but planned to re-up. She says he was on his third tour of Iraq. He leaves behind a wife and three children. His mother says Windorski "was a great pilot, and he loved the Army more than anything." A U.S. military statement says the crash did not appear to be a result of hostile fire. Crash that killed Grand Rapids soldier caused by enemy fire By Lisa Rosemore Courtesy of The Grand Rapids Herald-Review Saturday, March 7, 2009 The helicopter crash which killed Grand Rapids native Chief Warrant Officer Philip Windorski near Kirkuk, Iraq in late January was found to be a result of enemy fire, according to an Army investigation. “The two OH-58D helicopters were engaged and struck by hostile fire while conducting a reconnaissance mission,” said Julie Cupernall, deputy public affairs officer for Fort Drum, New York, via a phone interview. Two Kiowa Warrior helicopters collided with each other on January 26, 2009, killing Windorski along with three other soldiers. Both helicopters were also destroyed. Initial reports from the Army said the crash was not caused by enemy fire. Cupernall said this information was not issued to mislead, that preliminary investigation did not show enemy fire was involved. She said the U.S. Army Aircraft Shootdown Assessment Team performed the investigation. Cupernall added that the families of the soldiers were notified before the new information was released to the public. Also killed in the crash were Joshua Tillery, 31, of Beaverton, Oregon; Matthew Kelley, 30, of Cameron, Missouri.; and Benjamin Todd, 29, of Colville, Washington. All four were warrant officers in the 10th Mountain Division's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. Karin Windorski, Philip’s wife, said the news was a relief for her family. “We knew, without any doubt, how well-trained and highly professional my husband and Chief Warrant Officer Twos Tillery, Kelley and Todd were,” she said. “Having the status changed from accident to hostile fire - combat related was, in a way, a relief for us. We know that because of their training, had they been able to change the outcome of that night, they would have done so.” Karin Windorski said that her husband was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star from the Army, and on Friday she was notified he was being posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a third Air Medal. She said that he loved Grand Rapids and had planned on moving back after he retired from the Army. Because he loved the community so much, the family plans on giving back through a memorial fund which was set up after his death. The family is looking at a possible scholarship fund and ways to give back to area youth sports. “He loved to coach,” said Karin. “He coached both peewee football and Little League baseball for several years.” "As a representative of Grand Rapids, my husband was willing to lay his life down for his country if it was asked of him,” she added. “That willingness is what made him a hero to myself, his children and his family.” Windorski joined the Army after he graduated from Grand Rapids High School with honors in 1991. At the time of his death, he was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. Donations to the fund may be made to the Philip Windorski, Jr. Memorial Fund, c/o First National Bank of Deerwood, 516 S. Pokegama Ave., Grand Rapids, MN 55744.  An emotional tribute, to the ultimate sacrifice made by a Grand Rapids soldier. It was full military honors for Chief Warrant Officer Philip Windorski Jr. The 35-year-old helicopter pilot died in Iraq two weeks ago. His casket was marched into the Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, past dozens of flags flowing in the wind. Members of the Patriot Guard turned out in force. Then it was time for a special military roll call. Several comrades' names were read first. They responded with "Here, sir." Then Windorski's name was called. One of the soldiers then said, "Sir, he's no longer with us, he's gone ahead of us." Reverend Lynn Ronsberg gave the 200+crowd a comforting sermon, emphasizing that Windorski will remain alive with memories and stories. His commitment to his family and the service, was front and center. He leaves behind a wife, Karin, and three children. "His wife Karin told me that he said he serves because hopefully my son won't have to," Ronsberg said. A musical group played the popular country song "American Soldier," which moved some of the mourners to tears. Then, the ceremony moved outside, for the traditional 21-gun salute, taps, and then the flag folding. And finally, a special military honor for Windorski. Two helicopters made a fly-over. Windorski's ashes will return with his wife and children to New York. Chief Warrant Office Windorski will be laid to rest with full military honors on 18 March 2010. NOTE:  See United States Army Air Crew: 29 January 2009 Webmaster: Michael Robert Patterson Posted: 30 October 2009 Updated: 18 March 2010