Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski, Jr. Hometown

August 23, 2009

Two Lewis soldiers killed in Afghanistan

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  They died Aug. 18 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their unit.  The soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, at Fort Lewis.

The Fort Lewis PAO released a statement:

FORT LEWIS, Wash. — According to the Dept. of Defense, Spc. Troy Orion Tom, 21, of Shiprock, N.M., and Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney, 20, of Litchfield, Minn., died Aug. 18, of wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Arghandab, Afghanistan.  Both Soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

According to unit records, Tom enlisted on Feb. 11, 2006, in Albuquerque, N.M. He entered active duty on June 14, 2006 and reported to Fort Benning, Ga., where he completed initial entry training and airborne training. He reported to Fort Lewis on Nov. 11, 2006, and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment; 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. This was his first deployment.
Tom’s civilian and military education includes a high school diploma (2006), the Military Occupational Specialty 11B: Infantryman qualification course (2006), Airborne training (2006), HAZMAT Familiarization and Safety course (2007), and the Combatives Level I course (2007).

His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Expert Infantryman Badge, and Parachutist Badge.

According to unit records, Yanney enlisted on March 25, 2008, in Minneapolis, Minn. He reported to Fort Knox, Ky. for basic training on April 10, 2008, and reported to Fort Sill, Okla. for Advanced Individual Training on July 2, 2008. He reported to Fort Lewis on Sept. 6, 2008, and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment; 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. This was his first deployment.

Yanney’s civilian and military education includes a high school diploma (2006), and the Military Occupational Specialty 13F: Fire Support Specialist Qualification course (2008).

His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.

On behalf of the entire Fort Lewis military and civilian community, we extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Spc. Tom and Pfc. Yanney.

Mourners file out of the North Fort Chapel following a ceremony Wednesday at Fort Lewis honoring the lives of Sgt. Troy O. Tom and Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney, who died Aug. 18 when their vehicle encountered an IED in Afghanistan

Published: 09/02/09 5:08 pm | Updated: 09/03/0910:56 am

Sgt. Troy O. Tom was the life of the party who didn’t hesitate at doing almost anything to show off in front of friends – legendary feats that earned him the nickname “Crazy Bear.”

Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney was a quiet guy who loved playing Xbox and had a great sense of humor.

Both were determined soldiers. Tom, an infantryman, once broke his hand but still lugged around his 22-pound machine gun. Yanney, a forward observer, loved to be on the front lines alongside his buddies.

“Though their deaths were premature, they were able to leave their marks on many of us,” chaplain Capt. Ronaldo Silva told about 450 people at Fort Lewis’ North Fort Chapel on Wednesday for a memorial service for Tom and Yanney, who were killed Aug. 18 when a bomb exploded near their unit in Arghandab in Kandahar province.

Tom, 21, and Yanney, 20, were the first deaths 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division suffered since it deployed to southeastern Afghanistan in July. Wednesday’s service was the first of its kind at Fort Lewis since February for a soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Seven others – all from Troy and Yanney’s 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment – have since died, including three on Monday.

Having doubts in the midst of such losses is natural, the battalion commander told his troops during a memorial service in Afghanistan last week.

“Our training tells us not to question our nation’s mission, but somehow that isn’t quite enough,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Newman said five days after the country’s Aug. 18 presidential vote. “As we helped ensure the country could vote this week, we saw something very positive, an accomplishment to be proud of. Somehow democracy in Afghanistan still isn’t enough to justify losing these two soldiers.”

But, Newman said in a speech repeated Wednesday by Capt. Franky Kim, the troops must view the long-term mission and soldier on. Wednesday’s eulogies focused on a pair of soldiers who died just weeks into their first deployment. The chapel was at capacity as soldiers from units across the post filled the pews alongside family members to pay their final respects.

Bagpipers played “Amazing Grace.” A benediction followed the eulogies, and then a final roll call was performed. An honor guard from the brigade fired a rifle salute, and the sound of taps filled the chapel.

Spc. Kennith Cloud read a speech from Sgt. Jacob Travis, a friend of Yanney’s serving in Afghanistan. Travis remembers Yanney as someone who preferred to play video games; the realistic war game “Call of Duty” was a favorite.

Tom, a native of New Mexico, went by two nicknames: Tom Tom and Crazy Bear. The latter sprang in part from experience playing with samurai swords at a friend’s house just to make his buddies laugh, said Spc. Benjamin Simmons.

Another Crazy Bear moment involved Tom jumping on a skateboard in front of a large group to show off his skills.

“He was a friend and a leader who inspired a calm and lighthearted mood among his soldiers,” said Kim, the battalion’s rear detachment commander. “Regardless of the situation, no matter how bad things would get, he would always be smiling.”

Scott Fontaine: 253-320-4758 scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/military


Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge



Hometown: Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S.

Age: 25 years old

Died: September 3, 2009 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Unit: Army, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Incident: Died in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over.

Soldier's loved ones mourn Burnsville's 'Captain America'
Associated Press - Ap Dellona Selge speaks of her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Todd Selge, during his funeral

service at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Lakeville.

Any doubts that Todd Selge was a patriot were quickly dispelled at Burnsville High School shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

A senior, Selge expressed his love for country by donning a Captain America red, white and blue costume complete with a U.S. flag as a cape. It was not long before school administrators ordered him to remove the flag. It was a distraction, he was told.

He complied until he reached the parking lot at lunch, when the flag/cape came out again. He was spotted and suspended for three days.

"Todd was a patriot, even then," his sister, Tracy, remembered Tuesday at his flag-draped funeral service.

Selge, 25, an Army staff sergeant serving in Iraq with a Fort Lewis, Wash.-based Stryker unit, was killed Sept. 3 with another soldier after their vehicle rolled over in Baqubah. Having enlisted in 2004, he was on his second deployment to Iraq, and his unit was patrolling the same area where he was shot twice in March 2007. He received the Purple Heart for his injuries and rejoined his unit three months after being wounded.

Selge's older brother, Brent, who also is serving in the Army, said his brother's compassion for his family and tenacity as a soldier made their sibling roles reversed. Todd Selge was married to his high school sweetheart, Dellona, and the couple had two boys, Dallas and Austin.

"I was looking up to him now, whether it was his family or how squared away a soldier he was, and he just made me want to be a better person," Brent Selge recalled. "I've asked myself a thousand times why God would take Todd out of us all and find comfort in knowing that Todd's faith was as strong as I've ever seen and that if anybody was ready to go home it was him."

Lt. Michael Beliales, his platoon leader for 18 months, recalled Selge as a feisty debater but also as someone who loved being a soldier who "loved his men to his left and to his right."

"He always demanded more from his men and always gave more to his men. That is the Todd I know," Beliales said.

A former platoon member, still serving in Iraq, wrote a message recounting the day Selge was wounded. "How ya doin', Selge?" he remembered asking. Selge, mostly calm, told him: "It hurts pretty bad." Said his colleague: "I know, man, but we're taking care of you, and nobody's going to get around that corner." Despite the wounds, when the medivac unit arrived, Selge walked to the helicopter.

During the service, his sister had an epilogue to the Captain America incident in high school. At his graduation ceremony, her little brother waited until his diploma was safely in hand. He then quickly pulled out an American flag he had hidden under his gown.

"Out of a class of 900 students Todd had the courage to stand out among his peers," she said.

Mark Brunswick • 651-222-1636

September 11, 2009

Soldier with Valley ties dies in Iraq

TERRE HAUTE — U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge, 25, of Burnsville, Minn., the grandson of Paul and Myrtle Selge and Harold and Doris Patterson, both of Terre Haute, died Sept. 3 in Baqubah, Iraq in a non-combat accident.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced the death of Selge, and Spc. Jordan M. Shay, 22, of Salisbury, Mass., from injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. The two soldiers were assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Army Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Dellona Selge, of Tacoma, Wash., Selge’s wife of nearly five years, told the Pioneer Press of St. Paul, Minn., that the two men were in an armed combat vehicle that fell 60 feet off of a bridge. Selge was thrown and crushed under the vehicle, along with fellow infantryman Shay.

“He was definitely gung-ho about the military,” Dellona Selge, told the Pioneer Press, adding that her husband planned to stay in the military until 2012 before returning to Burnsville.

Paul Selge said his son, Paul Selge III, is the father of Staff Sgt. Selge, whose older brother, Brent, is on active duty with the Army National Guard.

“We didn’t have a chance to see him very often. We were so far apart,” Paul Selge said of his grandson living in Tacoma, Wash.

He said his grandson’s body is to be flown back to Minnesota on Sunday, with a visitation planned for Monday. Staff Sgt. Selge is to be buried Tuesday at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.

“You never know. He was shot during his first tour, which was quite an experience for him. He was quite loyal to his troops and wanted to be with them,” Paul Selge said.

Staff Sgt. Selge, in March 2007, was shot in the leg and the back about nine months into his first deployment. He returned home for three months to heal, then rejoined his battalion. The Sept. 3 accident happened days into his second deployment to Iraq.

Harold and Doris Patterson did not immediately respond to telephone messages left Friday at their Terre Haute home seeking comment.

A military release states Selge enlisted July 12, 2004 at Burnsville, Minn. He reported to Fort Lewis, Wash. on Jan. 5, 2005. He was first deployed to Iraq in June 2006. He was awarded the Purple Heart, plus several medals including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (six awards) and others.

Todd and Dellona Selge met as seniors at Burnsville Senior High School, where they graduated in 2002. After two years of college, Selge joined the military and the two were married in December 2004.

In a family statement, released from Fort Lewis, Wash., Dellona Selge said, “Todd was an awesome soldier, a loving husband, and great father, and an unforgettable friend.

“This was his second tour to Iraq. [He] was awarded the Purple Heart during his first tour and refused to stay stateside. ‘I need to be with my brothers’ he told me. I understood and supported him in his decision,” Dellona Selge said.

The couple have two sons, Dallas, 6, and Austin, 2.

“Our boys loved their father and saw him as a true hero. They want to grow up and be just like him,” she said.

His wife said Staff Sgt. Selge wrote an essay on his perspective of a soldier’s day-to-day life in Iraq. He wrote, “‘What does the average soldier think on a daily basis? He wants to accomplish the mission. He wants to see the smiles of the Iraqi people endure. He is grateful for everything he has back at home and wishes the very same freedom he is fighting for, upon the country of Iraq.’”

Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.

Army Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge

25, of Burnsville, Minn.; assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Sept. 3 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle rollover. Also killed was Army Spc. Jordan M. Shay.

Burnsville native dies in Iraq

By Nomaan Merchant

MINNEAPOLIS — Just about everyone at Burnsville High School knew what Todd Selge would do after graduation.

“You hear things about different seniors that are going to be graduating,” said associate principal Bruce Morrissette. “It was very apparent that Todd had a desire to serve his country and felt a duty to do so.”

The 25-year-old staff sergeant was killed Thursday along with another soldier, Spc. Jordan M. Shay, of Salisbury, Mass. The two were injured in a vehicle rollover, according to a release from Fort Lewis, Wash.

Selge’s wife told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he was killed less than a month into his second deployment.

“He was definitely gung-ho about the military,” said Dellona Selge, adding that her husband hoped to return to Minnesota after finishing his service in 2012. “He was going to get out. He wanted to finish up school and move back home and have a regular life.”

The couple has two sons, ages 6 and 2.

Selge enlisted in the Army in 2004, two years after he graduated from high school. He was deployed to Iraq once before and received a Purple Heart.

Before and during his service, Selge made it clear he joined the Army to help others achieve freedom.

“We’ve heard that a lot of insurgents have moved here from Baghdad,” he told the Associated Press in March 2007 while posted in Diyala province, northeast of the Iraqi capital. “The Iraqi army is supposed to be OK here, so we’re coming to help them stand up.”

The following month, he wrote an essay for an internal Army newsletter describing his experiences — carrying out attacks on insurgents, getting to know other soldiers, and handing out candy to children.

“What does the average soldier think on a daily basis?” he wrote. “He wants to accomplish the mission. He wants to see the smiles of the Iraqi people endure. He is grateful for everything he has back home, and he wishes the very same freedom he is fighting for, upon the country of Iraq.”

Though he also played football for three years, Selge stood out in high school due to his commitment to serving in the military one day, according to associate principal Bruce Morrissette.

“A lot of students come and go, but I do remember Todd,” Morrissette said.

The team will hold a moment of silence at its game next Friday for him.

‘Felt a duty’ to serve his country

Todd W. Selge was a straight-talker who didn’t shy from discussing controversial topics.

“He loved a good political debate, and he loved talking about religion,” said his wife, Dellona. “He loved talking about the real sensitive subjects that a lot of people steer away from.”

The two met when they were seniors at Burnsville (Minn.) High School. Most everyone there knew what Selge would do after graduation in 2002.

“It was very apparent that Todd had a desire to serve his country and felt a duty to do so,” associate principal Bruce Morrissette said.

Selge enlisted in 2004, months before his wedding, and deployed in 2006 to Iraq, where he was shot twice and earned a Purple Heart.

The 25-year-old from Burnsville, Minn., returned for a second tour and died Sept. 3 in Baqubah, Iraq, from injuries sustained in a vehicle rollover the previous day. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.

The former high school football player hoped to return to Minnesota after finishing his service in 2012, his wife said.

“He was going to get out,” she said. “He wanted to finish up school and move back home and have a regular life.”

Selge is also survived by two sons, ages 6 and 2.