Fallen Brothers

Pennsylvania National Guardsmen, both active and retired, and all of our Guard families share in our prayers and support for the families of our fallen brothers this week in the Middle East.

The official press release:

HARRISBURG: Governor Edward G. Rendell today issued the following statement after he ordered Pennsylvania state flags be flown at half staff through Sept. 11 in honor of the seven National Guardsmen killed this week, and all 92 Pennsylvanians who have lost their lives fighting the war on terror. Adjutant General Jessica Wright and Command Sergeant Major Donald Shiner joined Governor Rendell to honor each of the men who died.

?Just a little while ago, the Pennsylvania National Guard released the names of five Pennsylvania Guardsmen who were killed in action in Iraq. This is in addition to the two whose names were released two days ago, making a total of seven.

?These seven men were young. They were middle-aged. They were black. They were white. They were policemen, and they were firefighters, Wal-Mart store managers, youth counselors, recent high school graduates. Some were husbands and fathers. All were beloved sons, and all were Pennsylvanians. Six of the seven belonged to the Alpha Company of the 91st battalion of the 111th infantry headquartered on Southampton Road in Philadelphia. The other was a member of the 2nd brigade combat team of the 28th infantry. That was the team that General Wright and I went down to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, to participate in their departure ceremony, this June 26. The 28th infantry division sent 4,100 guardsmen to the Fallujah area of Iraq.

?This is an enormous tragedy for Pennsylvania, and I am ordering that all state flags throughout the commonwealth be flown at half-staff from today until the end of the day Sept.11, 2005. Our normal policy has been to fly the state flags at half-staff in the county where the Guardsmen are from, but a tragedy of this dimension, in my judgment, warrants the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania flags to be flown at half-staff through-out the commonwealth.

?I know that all 12.4 million Pennsylvanians join me in expressing our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of these seven brave men. The Guard and General Wright will do everything we can to ease what has to be an incredible burden that these families are going to undergo in the days and weeks and months ahead.

?And I want to close by asking all Pennsylvanians tonight, before they go to bed, to say a prayer for these seven men and their families, to say a prayer of thanks for the 3,100 Pennsylvanians, the Pennsylvania National Guardsmen and women, who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the 500 who are also deployed in Kosovo and other places in the global war against terror, and to pray for the safe and swift return of all 3,600. This is a great tragedy for the state and a difficult moment for all of us.?

Brahim J. Jeffcoat, 25 ? Youth Counselor, Philadelphia Kurt E. Krout, 43 ? Wal-Mart Store Manager / Marine Veteran, Spinnerstown Nathaniel E. Detample, 19 ? 2004 Pennsbury High Graduate, Morrisville Francis J. Straub, 24, Philadelphia Gennaro Pellegrini, Jr., 31 ? Philadelphia Police Officer, Philadelphia John Kulick, 35 - Whitpain Township Fire Fighter, Montgomery County Ryan Scott Ostrom, 25, Liberty

Three of the above soldiers were members of 1-111th Infantry "The Associators" out of Philadelphia. Gennaro Pellegrini worked part time for the company that I'm employed with, and while I didn't know Gennaro personally, his valor will be remembered forever. God bless the families of our fallen brothers.