Marines Take Increased Casualties in Afghanistan's Helmand Province

Five of the eight killed since August 7th happened in Helmand; one soldier died at Camp Phoenix and a Green Beret was killed in the Kunar Province. One soldier died of natural causes in Kuwait.

American flag at a remote American forward operating base in Kunar province called Camp Joyce. Salem-News.com photo by Tim King

(SALEM, Ore.) - This is as good of a time as any for Americans to remind themselves that we are at war in Afghanistan and losing plenty of military personnel there.

I just wrapped up one report with 15 people killed in 14 days and yet almost each morning, we are notified of more deaths. Each life is extremely important and should never be viewed as a simple statistic. We have been putting a strong effort into learning about each of these individuals when possible, and including photos when we can.

All politics aside, it is essential that Americans honor and respect the sacrifices these individuals make. It is also vital to support the families of all servicemembers, particularly those with the tragic honor of being Gold Star families.

Marine Sergeant William J. Cahir, 40, of Washington D.C., died August 13 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

His story is unique as any that we write about. Bill Cahir had been an Express-Times Washington, D.C., correspondent since 1999, when he joined the Marine Reserve at the age of 34 in 2003, enlisting as a Pfc. In his life, in addition to years of journalism, he was a Penn State grad and also ran for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District.

During his career, Bill Cahir worked for the Southampton Press, Education Daily and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee under Sen. Ted Kennedy. He was killed at age 40 in Afghanistan in the Helmand River valley.

Sgt. Cahir was assigned to 4th Civil Affairs Group, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Washington D.C.

Captain John Tinsley, 28, of Tallahassee, Florida, died August 12 in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

A local newspaper, the Daily Comet, reports that John Tinsley was a 1998 graduate of Vandebilt High School who also graduated from Florida State University. The article states that a former teacher and classmate called the soldier a quiet, considerate and confident student committed to others.

“He was one of my model students, that’s why I remember him so well,” teacher Margie Duplantis said. “One that had a heart of gold.” Duplantis, who teaches 130 students a year, says John Tinsley was tall, thin and blonde, and stood out, "for his devotion to his own convictions."

“If he could do anything to help anyone out, he did,” she said. “He challenged his friends to be better.”

Capt. Tinsley was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, typically known as the Green Berets, based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Lance Corporal Bruce E. Ferrell, 21, of Perdido, Alabama, died August 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in November 2007, and soon was promoted to rank of lance corporal. His unit deployed to Afghanistan in May of this year as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Bruce Ferrell was a gradate of Baldwin County High School where he was an honor student and a member of the JROTC program. He was a member of Fox Company, a rifle unit of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment of the Marine Corps. His tour of duty was scheduled to be just seven months.

The Marine lance corporal was recently engaged to be married. Funeral service will be announced after his body is returned to the United States.

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Specialist Richard A. Walters Jr., 41, of Cleveland, Ohio, died Aug. 10 in Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. Sources report that He had been in country approximately 2 days at the time of his death. A Lieutenant Colonel named Robert Mon at Fort Benning, reportedly said that Richard Walters died in Ali Al Salem of natural causes.

His awards during seven years of active duty in the military include the Navy Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Kuwait Liberation Medal. Richard Walters was a licensed practicing nurse who spent time at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Richard Walters was attached to the 14th Combat Support Hospital, a unit of approximately 300 soldiers on a yearlong deployment to the Middle East that began in early July.

Lance Corporal Patrick W. Schimmel, 21, of Winfield, Mo., died Aug. 9, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Pat Schimmel was one of three Camp Lejeune Marines from the same expeditionary force killed last weekend during fighting in the Helmand province. The others were Lance Corporal Javier Olvera of Palmdale, California and Lance Corporal Dennis J. Burrow, 23, of Naples, Florida.

Lance Corporal Schimmel was a rifleman who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2006, after graduating from Winfield High School, where he ran cross country, the same year. His family says that he was an active scout while growing up.

Visitation for Patrick Schimmel will be 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday at Baue Funeral and Memorial Center in St. Charles. A funeral service will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Baue, with burial to follow at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery.

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Marine Lance Corporal Javier Olvera of Palmdale, California died August 8, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Javier Olivera was 20-years old.

His MySpace page simply reads, "I went to Afghanistan...I'll see you guys later". He added, "I love you".

Javier's friend Luis wrote, "REST IN PEACE brother. It sucks to know know this happens to good people because you were a good guy. There was something about you that always cheered all of us up. Maybe it was ur hair or the fact that you always danced around but you were always happy, not once did I see you mad which is a wonderful thing because to me you left this earth on good terms. I will surely miss you and you are in a better place now, peace brother!" - Luis

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Marine Lance Corporal Dennis J. Burrow, 23, of Naples, Florida, died August 7, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Dennis Burrows is one of the three Marine lance corporals with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division. This is an area that we wrote about last week where a high number of Marines have been lost while fighting in rugged and hostile country.

Air strikes and military activity in the area has increased in recent days and the family of one of the Marines serving with the three lance corporals in Helmand, says it is heartening to see the increased presence for the Marines who have lost experienced a high casualty and injury rate in recent weeks.

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Tara J. Smith, 33, of Nashville, North Carolina, died August 8 in Bagram, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related incident that occurred August 4 at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan.

Tara Smith was an accomplished soldier with past duty assignments including Arifjan, Kuwait; Camp Casey, South Korea; and Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Her military education included the Warrior Leader, Nuclear Biological and Chemical Defense, Combat Lifesavers, Basic NCO and Advanced NCO courses.

Her awards and decorations include four Army Commendation medals, five Army Achievement Medals, four Army Good Conduct Medals, a National Defense Service Medal, a Korea Defense Service Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, a Global War on Terror Service Medal, three Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, a Army Service Ribbon, three Overseas Service Ribbons and the Driver and Mechanic Badge.

She was assigned to the 50th Signal Battalion, 35th Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The government says the circumstances surrounding this soldier's death are under investigation. Tara Smith is survived by her husband, Deron Smith, and her children David and Jordan.

If you are reading about these people right now, please don't forget them. They believed their role was to place themselves in harm's way and each paid the ultimate sacrifice. They should be respected and not forgotten.

Get out a map, globe or Google Earth and learn where Afghanistan is. Try to understand everything you can about this conflict and never forget about the Americans who died there. Don't just think about the Americans either, we are assisted by other military forces including British, French and Canadian services and they are working closely with Americans, as are the brave soldiers of the Afghan National Army.

Another great place to learn about our war dead is IraqWarHeroes.org

Special thanks to: wsaz.com, Freedom Remembered, Daily Comet, Tallahassee Democrat, Afghan Pigstye and individual.com.

Recent stories on Americans who paid the ultimate price fighting in the wars overseas:

From August 9, 2009: 15 Casualties Reported Over 14 Days in Afghanistan and Iraq - Tim King Salem-News.com

From August 1, 2009: Marine Casualties Heighten in Afghanistan

From July 24, 2009: Minnesota Pays Heavy Price in Latest War Casualty Reports - Tim King Salem-News.com

From July 18, 2009: Oregon Marine Among Casualties From Afghanistan - Tim King Salem-News.com

From July 12, 2009: Costly Fighting in Afghanistan Leads to Three More Combat Deaths - Tim King Salem-News.com

From July 6th 2009: Two Soldiers and One Marine Killed Fighting in Afghanistan - Salem-News.com

From July 2nd 2009: Almost 50 U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan Reported in June - Tim King Salem-News.com

From June 21st 2009: IED's Blamed in at Least Half of Latest Iraq and Afghanistan War Casualties - Tim King Salem-News.com

From June 7th 2009: Rate of American Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan Accelerates - Tim King Salem-News.com

From June 2nd 2009: War Casualties Mounting in Iraq & Afghanistan - Tim King Salem-News.com

From May 24th 2009: Average Age Among 11 Recent War Casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan is 32 - Tim King Salem-News.com

From May 11th 2009: Five Americans Killed in Baghdad by Fellow U.S. Army Soldier - Salem-News.com

From May 5th 2009: Two California Soldiers Killed in Iraq - Tim King Salem-News.com

From May 4th 2009: Two Soldiers Killed and One Missing in Action in Afghanistan - Salem-News.com

From April 20th 2009: The Faces of Four Americans Killed in Iraq and Afghanistan - Salem-News.com

From May 2nd 2009: Deaths in Iraq Jump: 6 Americans Killed in Recent Days - Tim King Salem-News.com

From April 12th 2009: Five Soldiers Killed by VBIED in Iraq Among Latest Casualties - Tim King Salem-News.com

From April 7th 2009: More Casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq - Tim King Salem-News.com

From March 29th 2009: Two U.S. Navy Officers Killed by Insurgent Posing as Afghan Soldier - Tim King Salem-News.com

From March 24th 2009: More Marines and Soldiers Pay the Ultimate Price in Afghanistan and Iraq - Tim King Salem-News.com

-----------------------------------------------------

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor.
Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), the first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several other awards including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website, affiliated with Google News and several other major search engines and news aggregators.
You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com