IGTNT- 11/08/2007

Excerpt from Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Today the Department of Defense announced 3 more casualties in Operation Iraqi Freedom.  According to the Iraq Casualty Count,  there are 3857 casualties and 1 more name of the deceased awaiting notification of the next of kin before being publicly released.  To date, there have been 459 Americans killed in Afghanistan.  

DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin R. Bewley, 27, of Hector, Ark., died Nov. 5 of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting operations in Salah ad Din province, Iraq. Bewley was permanently assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11, Oak Harbor, Wash.

Hector, Arkansas is a town of about 500 people.  This small, rural Arkansas town is grieving tonight over the tremendous loss of Kevin Bewley.  Kevin Bewley was on his second tour in Iraq when he died from wounds caused by an IED.  His family, friends and unit are all reeling from the loss of Kevin, a man, who loved the outdoors, and was an all around great guy. Kevin Bewley leaves behind a four year old daughter.   The heartbreaking statements of his grief stricken parents are below:

From the Courier News:
Bewley’s mother, Connie Whitaker, said the death of her son was devastating.

“The needless loss of life of our American servicemen and women is something that we as a nation must stop now,” she told the newspaper. “My son was precious to me, but so are the lives of everyone who has died needlessly, been maimed or who will suffer the trauma and horror of this senseless war.”

snip

“He had a real good personality. He was always sympathetic to people,” his father, Ron Duke Bewley, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “You bet I was proud of him.”

 A statement from:

Capt. Barry Coceano, commander of bomb-disposal units in the Pacific fleet, said: “His death is a tremendous loss to his family, friends and the entire EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) community. He was a warrior who was protecting the lives of his fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, as well as local Iraqi citizens.”

A heartbreaking loss for so many.  Rest in peace,  Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Bewley.

DoD Identifies Army Fatality

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Christine M. Ndururi, 21, of Dracut, Mass., died Nov. 6 in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, from a non-combat related illness. Her death is under investigation.

Family seeks answers in death of 21 year old daughter

Spc. Christine Ndururi spoke with her parents just 24 hours before the family received the news of her death.  Spc. Ndururi called home at 9 am Monday morning and informed her parents she was on her way to Kuwait then transfer to Iraq.  At 9am on Tuesday morning, the mother was informed of her daughter's death due to non-combat related causes.  From the  Eagle Tribune:

“She has not been sick,” Ndururi’s father, Wilson Wachira, 45, said yesterday at the family’s home. “I’m waiting for them to tell me what happened. She was not ill, unless she was ill after 9 o’clock when she talked to her mother. Before she was deployed there, she had to have a medical checkup.”

snip

“To me, she was OK,” said her mother, Mary Mwaniki, 45, recalling the last time she spoke to her daughter. The conversation didn’t last long. Mwaniki, a nursing aide, was at work. She told her daughter to call back, but she never did.

Spc. Christine Ndururi came to Lowell, Mass. from Kenya when she was 16.  Her friends from school and church described her as bright, energetic and a devout christian.  She was a role model for many.  

Family friend Octavian Irura knew Ndururi since she moved to the United States and sang in the church choir with her. She said Ndururi never changed, like many people do when they move here from another country. She said that’s a good thing. Ndururi always helped out, taking care of Irura’s grandchildren.

“She likes everybody,” Irura said. “She was so good to us. She was there for everybody. She always wore a smile on her face.”

My heart goes out to the Ndururi family, friends, church and community of Dracut.

DoD Identifies Army Fatality

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Daniel J. Shaw, 23, of West Seneca, N.Y., died Nov. 5 in Taji, Iraq.

His death is under investigation.

The family of Sgt. Daniel Shaw looked forward to him coming home before Christmas.  His sister told the Buffalo News:

“He was supposed to be home by September,” his sister, Angela Hinterberger, said Tuesday, “but his tour was extended. He was getting ready to send stuff home. He was going to spend Christmas with his girlfriend’s family in Colorado, then he was supposed to be out completely in April. He was going to move back to Buffalo.”

Instead Shaw's family received the dreaded news on Monday that he was killed by wounds from an explosion where his unit had just completed a mission.  The Army has listed it as non-combat causes and still has it under investigation.  

Daniel Shaw is being remembered for being a fun loving, outgoing, helpful young man.  His sister described him:

Shaw “was just a big goofball,” his sister said, “and that’s what we loved him for. He was a very outgoing guy. He was just a guy who wanted to help people. He was big, spiritwise, and he loved to play practical jokes on my mother. The last time we talked, we were planning the next one.”

My heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of Sgt. Daniel Shaw.  

I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect and remind.  Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries.

About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT) I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
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