Memorial Day 2021 Mr. Brown’s Military History Classes Honoring The Fallen: Holli Bolinski 37-year-old Sgt. Holli R. Bolinski from Pinckneyville, Illinois, was married and a mother to five children. Holli was a Sargent in the United States airforce for a multitude of years before she died overseas in deployment. She died on March 7, 2019, during operation Spartan Sheild in Kuwait. She died in a non-combat accident alongside soldier Jackson Johnson in transportation to Camp Arifjan from an army reserve unit. Bolinski and Johnson were both reservists assigned to the Illinois-based 657th Transportation Detachment. They were driving an SUV during a routine, authorized mission when a tractor-trailer ran a stop sign at a T-intersection and broadsided the vehicle they were in. Before her passing, Bolinski had obtained numerous awards while in service. Bolinski’s awards include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal among many others. 2 Staff Sergeant Carl P. Enis About Staff Stg. Carl Enis: ● Died age 31, March 15th during a helicopter crash in Western Iraq ● Served during Operation Inherent Resolve ● He flew a HH-60 Pave Hawk Helicopter ● 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia ● The 106th Rescue Wing of the National Guard; and the AirForce Reserves’s 300th Rescue Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida Corporal Robert Hendriks ● Killed April 9th, 2019 in a bombing in Parwan province, Afghanistan ● Hendriks was 25 ● From Locust Valley New York ● Assigned to the 25th Marine Regiment Phillips Holmes -Before serving in World War 2, Phillip Holmes starred in 48 films from 1928 to 1938. -When World War 2 began, Phillips and his brother Ralph both enlisted. -Some well known films he starred in are An American Tragedy(1931), and Dinner At Eight(1931). -On August 12, 1942, while flying to another base in Ottawa, his plane collided with another aircraft flying over Ontario. La David T. Johnson ● Enlisted in the Army in January 2014 as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic. ● Died Oct. 4 in southwest Niger, as a result of enemy fire. He was assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina. ● His awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. ● Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. (July 25, 1915 – August 12, 1944) ● Was the eldest of the nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888–1969) and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (1890–1995). ● A US Navy lieutenant ● He was killed in action during World War II while serving as a land-based patrol bomber pilot, and posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. ● He was John F. Kennedy’s older brother Andrew Jackson Lummus ● Born October 22, 1915 in Texas on a cotton farm ● He was the youngest and the only boy ● He attended Ennis High School from September 1931 through May 1934 ● He was a star football player and a star at track ● He received all-district honors for football in his senior and junior year ● Jack Lummus was a two-sport athlete at Baylor University ● He was a professional football player for the New York Giants ● He was an officer in the United States Marine Corps ● Fought and died a the Battle of iwo Jima during World War 2 ● Received the Medal of Honor for his Valor Lt. Aleda E. Lutz Lt. Aleda E. Lutz November 09, 1915 - November 01, 1944 - Born in Freeland, Michigan, Lutz was the youngest child of German immigrants - She excelled in athletics and after graduating high school, become a nurse - Became a flight nurse during World War II (provided care to soldiers on airlifts) - At over 3,500, she transported the most patients of any flight nurses - Killed in a Medevac crash in France, of which there were no survivors - First American woman to die in combat (of 17) - Second highest decorated woman in U.S. history (Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Red Cross Medal) Joseph K. Mansfield -Recommended for command of a volunteer army in Washington D.C. by Winfield Scott -Charged at the Battle of Antietam with Major General Joseph Hooker -organized his men well and led a well orchestrated push into Confederate lines -Died at Antietam by a bullet through the chest; bled out shortly after being shot. Army Captain Matthew G. Nielson Army Captain Matthew G. Nielson Died June 29th, 2011 Served during Operation New Dawn ● From Jefferson, Iowa ● Graduated with honors in May 2008 ● Assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas ● Was 27 years old ● Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire t t Lt. Col. William J. O’Brien ● Held off an overwhelming amount of Japanese soldiers by Dual-Wielding two pistols on the front lines. ● Was shot but refused to be evacuated. ● His last moments were spent upright on a .50 cal machine gun firing into the Japanese attacks. ● Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously. Sgt. 1st class Elis A. "Barreto" Ortiz Died September 5, 2019 at age 34, when a vehicle borne explosive was detonated near his vehicle in kabul, afghanistan. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd brigade combat team out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His awards and decorations include; the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Combat Action Badge, the Basic Parachutist Badge and the Army Driver and Mechanic Badge. Ryan S. Phaneuf - In the air force - Died during Operation Freedom’s Sentinel - From Hudson, New Hampshire - Died in a plane crash in Afghanistan Gunnery Sergeant Diego D. Pongo 1. Gunnery Sergeant Diego D. Pongo was 34 when he died on March 8, 2020. 2. He died while clearing a tunnel complex of Islamic State fighters in the Makhmur Mountains of Southern Iraq. 3. Pongo’s personal awards were: A Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device A Purple Heart 2 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Two Combat Action Ribbons The Army Valorous Unit Award 4 Good Conduct Medals 2 Humanitarian Service Medals The National Defense Service Medal The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal 4 Sea Service Deployment Ribbons. 4. Pongo joined the Marine Corps in 2004 as an 0311 rifleman. 5. In 2008, he completed Scout Sniper Basic Course and was a sniper team leader when he deployed to Afghanistan in with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. General John Sedgwick Facts Fought for the Union in the civil war Told his colleagues that “they [Confederate snipers] couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance”, right before he was shot an killed by a confederate sharpshooter. He was a teacher before the war He was wounded three times at the Battle of Antietam Died at the Battle of Spotsylvania on May 9th, 1864 One of four Major Generals to die in the Civil War Four cities/Counties were named in his Honor: Sedgwick, Colorado Sedgwick County, Colorado Sedgwick, Kansas Sedgwick County, Kansas Pat Tillman Patrick Tillman ● Died in combat on April 22, 2004 in Afghanistan. ● Played Safety for The Arizona Cardinals. ● Enlisted on May 31, 2002. ● He was deployed in Iraq and then redeployed in Afghanistan. ● He was a Corporal in the 2nd Ranger Battalion and in the 75th Ranger Regiment. Chet Wetterlund *American Football Player *Passed away in a plane crash off of New Jersey During WW2 *Born in Chicago 1918 *Died September 5, 1944 *Played for the Chicago Cardinals *Drafted to them in the 1942 Draft Selection Andersonville Prison, Georgia Nicholas Zehler (1841-1864) ● Born September 25, 1841 in Selbach, Germany ● Volunteered to serve for the Union Army ● Enlisted as a private on September 14, 1861 ● Served in the 5th New York Cavalry, Company F ● His regiment was present at Antietam and Gettysburg ● Captured October 11th, 1863 near Sperryville Pike, Virginia ● Died in February 1864 in Andersonville Prison, Georgia Students Aaron Sikora Leyna Wirickx Aldin Becirovic Malcolm Britz Alric Good Marco Fernandez Andi Ko Matthew Gera Charles Moynihan III Neel Patel Connor Burns Noah Rafkis Emily Bulone Rami Al-Mudamgha Gabriel Collins Sean Boland, Jr. Harland Kissel Sophia Caputo .