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- July 20, 2009 American Forces Press Service
Soldiers Honor Fallen Comrades in Basra »By Stephanie Gaskell Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/warzone/2009/07/soldiers-honor-fallen-comrades.html#ixzz0r3vqI4tP Spec James David Wertish July 18th, 2009 
Born January 18, 1989 in Rewood Falls, MN Died July 16, 2009 in Basra, Afghanistan Spc. James D. Wertish of rural Olivia, Minnesota, loved working on his family farm. He raised a little hell now and again, and it is said that some of his father’s hair loss was the result of raising the teenage James, who enjoyed snowmobiling and playing Rock Band II. James graduated from Bold High School in 2007 and had joined the Minnesota Army National Guard on February 28, 2006. . He graduated from One Station Unit Training as a 31B, Military Police at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. James deployed to Iraq in April of 2009, assigned to the 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, based at Stillwater, Minn. He was one of three National Guard soldiers who were killed at a military base near Basra in southern Iraq. Fellow Soldiers in 1st Platoon said James would literally give you the shirt off his back. He could always make us laugh with his humor; we could count on him to improve our day.” His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal (with Bronze Star Service), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal and Combat Action Badge. James is survived by his parents, David and Kim (Rathman) Wertish; two sisters, Amber (husband Josh Weber) and Carolyn; a brother Tony; a niece and nephew; paternal grandmother Delores Wertish; maternal grandparents Audrey and LeRoy Goelz; and numerous other relatives and friends. His grandfathers Miloyd Wertish and Ed Rathman preceded him in death. When James was confirmed, the class was required to write their own creed. James wrote “I believe God loves each one of us; he created each one of us for a reason.” James was trying to make the world a better place, and had his own dream of becoming a police officer. He was buried at St. Aloysius Cemetery in Oliva, MN. Capt. Thomas J. Gramith 
Hometown: Eagan, Minnesota, U.S. Age: 27 years old Died: July 17, 2009 in Operation Enduring Freedom. Unit: Air Force, 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. Incident: Died in a F-15E crash near Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. 
Capt. Thomas J. (O'Kane) Gramith Gramith (O'Kane), CAPT Thomas J. Died July 17, 2009 while Serving in Afghanistan Survived by his loving wife Angie; twin daughters Stella and Eva; father Frederick (Cynthia) Gramith, MD; mother Dr. Patricia (Robert) O'Kane-Trombley; grandfather Dr. Thomas O'Kane; sisters Kathryn (Don) Stevens, Liesl O'Kane; brother Patrick Gramith; step-sisters Roberta (Jeremy) Perrone, SK2 Karrin Trombley, Brionna, Rebekah, and Amber West; step-brothers Michael Trombley and Matthew West; father and mother-in-law Joseph and Betty Rybarczyk; brothers and sisters-in-law Victoria Rybarczyk, Anne (Earl) Gray, Michael (Mary) Rybarczyk, Kevin (Charlene) Rybarczyk, Theresa (Ron) Engstrand, and Jennifer (John) Selenske; and many other loving relatives and friends. Preceded in death by grandparents Helen O'Kane, Clifford and LuVern Gramith. Graduated from St. Thomas Academy in 2000 and North Dakota State University in 2005. Visitation 5-8PM Friday, July 31 at Willwerscheid Funeral Home, 1167 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 55105, 651-228-1006. Mass of Christian Burial 10AM Saturday, August 1 at The Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 55102. Full Military Honors at Resurrection Cemetery. Published in Pioneer Press on July 30, 2009 
Airmen honored: Forever in flight 
By News-Argus Staff Published in News on July 28, 2009 1:46 PM By KENNETH FINE News-Argus Staff Writer Some came in uniforms, others in black suits and dresses, to remember, to honor two men who gave their lives for their country. But those who gathered this morning at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base's Heritage Park were not just there to go through the formal military honors due Capt. Mark McDowell and Capt. Thomas Gramith -- the pilot and weapon systems officer who were lost last week while serving in Afghanistan. They were there to recount some of the memories of the men they knew as Mark and Tom -- the sons, the fathers, the best friends, the husbands. So as they listened to the words of 4th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Mark Kelly -- and watched him posthumously award each the Bronze Star -- they remembered -- and shared -- with the family gathered around them -- a community, a base and a wing in mourning, yet determined to make sure that the mission "Pitbull" and "Lag" started would continue without them, and in honor of them.
McDowell and Gramith died July 18 when their F-15E Strike Eagle crashed during a close-air-support mission near Afghanistan's Ghazni Province. McDowell's father, Stan, choked up when he relived the early morning phone call that delivered the news. He had hoped at first, he said, that the news that his son's plane had gone down in Afghanistan would yield a different result -- news that Mark was coming home. "I prayed for a miracle," he said, as his eyes filled with tears. "The miracle God delivered was everlasting life." So he will remember the last football game, the last golf match and the flagstone path he helped his son build at the home Mark shared with his wife. And he will marvel at the example his son set -- as a man, as a son and as a warrior. Those will be the memories, his father said, that he will keep with him always. But Capt. McDowell was more than just a pilot -- a hero remembered and honored for how he died and what he sacrificed to serve.
He was a man of faith -- a man who knew that there was a life beyond the oath he swore to uphold and a true purpose in the path he chose. Mark was a young man, his father said, with a sense of self and spirit that was much more developed than it should be for his years. It was that faith that guided him in life and will comfort his family now that he is gone. Capt. McDowell's mother, Barbara Thomas, remembers, too. But instead of sharing her initial reaction to the news -- or stories about the last week and the grief it has brought her -- she told the crowd about a "confident, determined young man ... who will truly be missed." "I could talk about Mark for hours and hours," she said. She told her son's family and friends about a young man whose faith and determination to care for others distinguished his life -- and left a mark that will not soon be erased, not just for those who loved him, but those who will continue to serve without him. Capt. Thomas Gramith's family had memories to share, too. His mother, Dr. Patricia O'Kane-Trombley, remembers a young man whose eyes were fixed to the sky -- she called him "the eagle," a clue to the life he would later choose as a U.S. Air Force F-15E weapon systems officer. But heroism was not all that Thomas Gramith's mother wanted those gathered to remember. She told stories of the Tom she treasured -- the man who adored his wife and twin daughters, the man whose antics always brought a smile, a friend and a son dedicated to taking care of others. It is that Tom, she said, she will remember -- along with the hero who served his country with dedication and valor. She asked those gathered to carry on, to stay safe. They were so much a part of her son's life, she added -- his family away from home. And then she looked skyward, ever so slightly, and sent a message to her son. "Keep watch over us as we live under your blue skies," she said. Tears were falling for the duration of the hour-long service -- not only when bagpipes blared "Amazing Grace" while an American flag was folded, not only when "Taps" began and a four-ship of Strike Eagles performed a missing man formation in the skies overhead. They fell when Kelly thanked the two men for the service they gave their country and the honor with which they did their jobs. "We are forever in their debt," he said. "And they are with us yet, as we remember them." And the tears did not stop either when a voice was heard from Afghanistan -- from the leader of the squadron with which the two men served -- a tribute from those who must go on now, even with heavy hearts. "Make no mistake, they are heroes in every sense of the word," said 336th Fighter Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Neil Allen, through his wife. "Right now, F-15Es from (Seymour Johnson) are flying combat sorties in Afghanistan. They represent the dreams of Pitbull and Lag." -- Editor Renee Carey contributed to this report.
EDUCATION 2005 Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND. ASSIGNMENTS 1. June 2005 - November 2007, student, joint specialized undergraduate navigator training, NAS Pensacola, FL 2. February 2008 - November 2008, student WSO - F-15E FTU, 334 FS, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC 3. November 2008 - Present, Training Officer/WSO, 336 FS, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Navigator Flight hours: Approx. 500 hours Combat hours: 180 Aircraft flown: T-6, T-39, T-38, F-15E MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Bronze Star Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster Aerial Achievement Medal Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Outstanding Unit Award National Defense Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one oak leaf cluster Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border Air Force Longevity Service Air Force Training Ribbon NATO Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant 2 Jun 2005 First Lieutenant 2 Jun 2007 Captain 2 Jun 2009 
Posted: July 19, 2009 Updated: July 20, 2009 Military IDs N.C.-based airmen killed in Afghan crash SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. — A Charlotte native was among two Seymour Johnson Air Force Base-based officers killed when an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed in Afghanistan Friday. Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn., and Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died in the crash, military officials said. They had been flying for several hours, providing air support to ground troops in the Ghazni Province when their plane went down around 3:15 a.m. in Kabul, Afghanistan. Both men were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron, which deployed in April for a four-month tour of duty. “This is a very deep personal loss that we've taken. These are our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers,” said Col. Mark Kelly, 4th Fighter Wing commander, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. McDowell is a native of Charlotte and attended the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He leaves behind his father in Adamsville, mother in Clemson, S.C., and grandparents in Sanford. His wife is also in the Air Force, serving on a deployment to Iraq. The couple would have been married for two years this Thanksgiving. Gilbert McDowell, a pastor in Sanford, said he was proud of his grandson, because everywhere he was stationed, he joined a church and taught Sunday school. Kelly said thousands of N.C.-based soldiers were among the ground troops McDowell and Gramith were supporting. “We have literally thousands of Marines from Camp Lejeune just down the road that are dispersed across the Helman province, down south. We have thousands and thousands of soldiers from Fort Bragg that are operating in the east, so this is a very deep North Carolina protection event,” Kelly said. The cause of the crash hasn't been released, but military officials have said it was from non-hostile action. F-15s fly in pairs, so another jet was alongside the plane during the crash. A board of officers in Afghanistan is investigating the crash, military officials said. A safety investigation normally takes 30 to 45 days, but since this crash happened in a combat zone, the investigation is expected to take longer. The U.S. military hasn't released more information about the crash, but Afghan authorities told The Associated Press that the plane went down in the Nawur district of Ghazni province in central Afghanistan, a peaceful area populated by the ethnic Hazara minority. Mohammed Qasim Naziri, the deputy district chief, said the crash site was between two villages in a desert surrounded by mountains about 20 miles south of the town of Nawur. Kelly described the terrain as unforgiving. He said local people notified police of the crash, but by the time authorities reached the site, U.S. troops had surrounded the area and barred Afghan authorities from approaching the wreckage. The last similar accident involving Seymour Johnson aircraft was on April 7, 2003. The bodies of Gramith and McDowell were flown to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., Sunday. Their deaths brought to 50 the number of international service members killed in Afghanistan in July, already the deadliest month of the war for NATO forces.
American Heroes: Air Force Capt. Thomas J. Gramith and Air Force Capt. Mark R. McDowell,
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2009 - The commander of U.S. Air Forces Central expressed condolences to the families and friends of two Air Force officers killed early July 18 in the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet that was flying in support of coalition operations in eastern Afghanistan. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones ... and to the airmen and the joint and coalition team members who called them friends and will miss their fellow warriors," Air Force Lt. Gen. Gary North said. Air Force Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn., and Air Force Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colo., were killed in the crash. They were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. The airmen's bodies will be returned to their families through a dignified transfer from Afghanistan to the United States, officials said.
Meanwhile, an Army helicopter made an emergency landing in Afghanistan's Kunar province yesterday. The aircraft landed near a military base, and the site was immediately secured upon landing, officials said. No enemy activity was reported in the area at the time. Personnel on the aircraft were treated on site and evacuated to the nearest medical facility for further treatment. The incident is under investigation. General Mourns Airmen Killed in F-15E Crash American Forces Press Service ^ Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 7:07:17 PM by SandRat WASHINGTON, July 20, 2009 – The commander of U.S. Air Forces Central expressed condolences to the families and friends of two Air Force officers killed early July 18 in the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet that was flying in support of coalition operations in eastern Afghanistan. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones … and to the airmen and the joint and coalition team members who called them friends and will miss their fellow warriors," Air Force Lt. Gen. Gary North said. Air Force Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn., and Air Force Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colo., were killed in the crash. They were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. The airmen’s bodies will be returned to their families through a dignified transfer from Afghanistan to the United States, officials said. The crash was not due to hostile fire, officials said, and a board of officers will investigate the crash. Meanwhile, an Army helicopter made an emergency landing in Afghanistan’s Kunar province yesterday. The aircraft landed near a military base, and the site was immediately secured upon landing, officials said. No enemy activity was reported in the area at the time. Personnel on the aircraft were treated on site and evacuated to the nearest medical facility for further treatment. The incident is under investigation. (Compiled from U.S. Air Forces Central and U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)
Fighter Wing Commander Col. Mark Kelly is currently at Dover Air Force Base, Del. with the families of Capt. Mark R. McDowell and Capt. Thomas J. Gramith – the air crew who died when their F-15E Strike Eagle crashed in Afghanistan — and is overseeing the dignified transfer of his airmen. Heroes come home By Kenneth Fine Published in News on July 20, 2009 1:46 PM A little more than a day after the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base community -- and those outside its gates -- began mourning the loss of two local airmen killed in Afghanistan, the names of the fallen were released by the Department of Defense. Fourth Fighter Wing officials confirmed Sunday that 336th Fighter Squadron Capt. Mark R. McDowell, a 26-year-old fighter pilot from Colorado Springs, Colo., and Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, a 27-year-old weapons system officer from Eagan, Minn., died early Saturday morning when their F-15E Strike Eagle crashed in the vicinity of the country's Ghazni Province. Their deaths mark the first combat-related losses suffered by the wing since Operation Iraqi Freedom, when, on April 7, 2003, an F-15E crash claimed the lives of Maj. William R. Watkins III and Capt. Eric B. Das. Hours after the names were confirmed, 4th Commander Col. Mark Kelly flew to Dover Air Force Base, Del., to meet with the mens' families and oversee the dignified transfer of his airmen. Whether or not they will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery has yet to be determined, officials said. Members of the 336th deployed from Seymour Johnson to Bagram Air Base in April where, since that time, air crews have provided a 24/7 air power presence over the desert in support of troops on the ground -- escorting convoys, responding to troops-in-contact calls with shows of force, and, when necessary, eliminating enemy threats. Saturday's crash occurred while McDowell and Gramith were flying such a close-air-support mission. Local reaction to the loss has been noticeable. Military Affairs Commission Chairman Dr. Mike Gooden said he was "completely shocked and saddened" by the news. And Mayor Al King characterized the phone call he received from Kelly as the worst kind one can get. "When you read about (a troop being killed), it's always bad," said King, a retired Air Force colonel. "But when they are family, that's even more devastating." Some flags already are flying at half-mast, and the fallen and their families have been the topic of many discussions inside restaurants and chapels since the news broke this weekend. A local organization has even opened up a fund for Gramith's family. The Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, a group established to "provide a dynamic association of like-minded aerial combat veterans who avow patriotism and the defense of the Constitution of the United States of America as its guiding principles," will start raising money for the family now, its members said Monday morning. The mission of the RRVFP includes, among other things, providing aid and comfort to the families of military POWs and providing aid and comfort to the surviving spouse and children of those killed or missing in action. No memorials have been planned to date, as base and city officials both wait for guidance on how best to honor the crew from the families the crash left behind. http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2009/07/20/heroes_come_home/ Class of '05 grad killed in F-15 crash
Posted 7/24/2009 Updated 9/1/2009 
7/24/2009 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Two Air Force officers, one an Academy graduate, were killed July 18 in the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle over eastern Afghanistan. The aircraft, assigned to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., was flying in support of coalition operations. The crash occurred at approximately 3:15 A.M. Kabul time. Killed were Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn., and Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of Charlotte, N.C. Both officers were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. Captain McDowell is a member of the Academy graduating Class of 2005. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones ... and to the Airmen and the joint and coalition team members who called them friends and will miss their fellow warriors," said Lt. Gen. Gary North, U.S. Air Forces Central commander. A team of U.S. and coalition forces immediately responded to the crash site, secured it and recovered the Airmen. The Airmen have been returned to their families through a dignified transfer from Afghanistan to the United States. The crash was not due to hostile fire. A board of officers will be convened to conduct an investigation of the incident. (Information compiled from Armed Forces News Service and staff reports.)
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