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Three Soldiers Killed in Iraq Patrols By Capt. Kathy Sweeney Guard Times Staff LATHAM—The state mourned the loss of three New York National Guard Soldiers in January who died supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. All three Soldiers served with the "Fighting 69th” 1st Battalion, 69th Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division. Bloomingburg Soldier falls from Improvised Explosive Device Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered in Sullivan County, Jan. 15, to pay their last respects to Spc. Kenneth G. Vonronn, 20, Bloomingburg, who died from injuries sustained while on patrol in Iraq. Specialist Vonronn was one of seven Soldiers killed when an improvised explosive device struck his Bradley fighting vehicle while on patrol, Jan. 6. He was assigned to the Army National Guard’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1 st Battalion, 69 th Infantry Regiment, six fellow Soldiers, from the 256th Infantry Brigade, La., were killed by the same blast. Spc. Vonronn was promoted,
Guard Times Sgt. Kenneth
Spc. Alain
Pfc. Francis Obaji
Vonronn
Kamolvathin
Age 21, Queens
Age 20,
Age 21, Blairstown,
Village
Bloomingburg
N.J.
KIA Jan. 17, 2005
KIA Jan. 6, 2005
KIA Jan. 16, 2005
1st Battalion,
1st Battalion,
1st Battalion,
69th Infantry
69th Infantry
69th Infantry
posthumously, to the rank of Sergeant. Governor George E. Pataki honored the sergeant saying, “Sergeant Vonronn put his life on the line to save others and to tend to those Soldiers who were injured in battle. His first concern was not for himself, but for his fellow Soldiers in need of care and assistance.” Sergeant Vonronn served as a combat medic. Linda Pierson, a close family friend, stated “Ken took CPR with me in high school and was planning on taking advanced lifesaving when he joined the Army to become a medic. His goal was to become a pediatrician.” Kira Vonronn, his widow, gave the eulogy. She started by saying, “We are here today, not to mourn Kenney, but to celebrate the life that he had. Kenney truly did love his job and his Soldiers that were under his watchful eye. Many times, Kenney would stop a phone conversation to help a fellow Soldier who had a medical problem. Kenney would want everyone in this room to remember that he loved his country and the job that he did for this great land.” In closing, Mrs. Vonronn wanted everyone to remember her husband in a positive way, because “he was an amazing individual with many wonderful qualities.”
Sergeant Vonronn was laid to rest at Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery with full military honors. The Veteran Corps and the American Legion paid tribute during viewing hours. Tom Fitzsimmons, Veteran Corps, 69th Regiment, stated that Sergeant Vonronn will “be forever remembered and enshrined in our armory.” Both organizations rendered a final salute to Sergeant Vonronn following their respective tributes. Sergeant Vonronn is survived by his wife, Kira, 20, his parents, Debra and Remen and his three sisters, Samantha, 17, Courtney, 13, and Gina, 13. Humvee accident claims two ‘Fighting 69th’ Soldiers Two "Fighting 69th" Soldiers died from injuries in a Humvee accident in Iraq Jan. 16, one month after receiving Purple Heart Medals for injuries sustained from a roadside bomb. Spc. Alain L. Kamolvathin, Blairstown, N.J., was killed instantly, while Pfc. Francis C. Obaji, Queens Village, succumbed to his injuries at the 86th Combat Support Hospital, Baghdad, one day later. Specialist Kamolvathin, 21, enlisted in the Army National Guard to honor a promise he
made to his dying mother four years ago. “He promised he’d turn his life around,” said cousin, Brian Kaiser. Specialist Kamolvathin’s mother died of a long-term illness in 2000 and his father died of a heart attack in 2003. His sister Sidney, 12, now must deal with the loss of her entire immediate family within the last five years. “Everything he did was geared toward getting custody of Sidney,” added Kaiser. Private First Class Obaji, 21, was a Nigerian immigrant whose father brought the family to the United States in 1994. At Arlington National Cemetery, Va., mourners learned how the 9/11 terrorist attacks motivated him to alter his life’s plan. He was just about to board the Staten Island Ferry when the planes hit the Twin Towers; the death and destruction he viewed on his long walk home forever changed him. He joined the N.Y. Army National Guard shortly thereafter. “He wanted to give back to the country he so loved,” said Kingsley Obaji, his uncle. His father, Cyril Obaji, mentioned that he died knowing he made a difference. “They knew at last freedom will prevail over there and democracy will reign,” said See PATROLS, page 10
Soldier'sActions Awarded New York Soldier earns Bronze Star Medal, 'V' Device By Spc. Erin Robicheaux 256th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs
Soldiers of the Arlington National Cemetery Firing Party conduct a rifle volley Jan. 28 at the funeral service of N.Y. National Guard Soldier, Pfc. Francis Obaji. Private First Class Obaji was buried with full military honors. Photo by Staff Sgt. Mike R. Smith
CAMP AL TAHREER, BAGHDAD, IRAQ—Sgt. David Bernal puts heart and soul into his job as a civilian police officer in Staten Island, New York, and his work ethics are mirrored as a Soldier fighting the war on terror. Bernal is the recipient of the 256th Brigade Combat Team’s first Bronze Star Medal with “V” Device. This particular award is reserved for Soldiers who exemplify valor and courage beyond compare. Sergeant Bernal is a member of Company D, 101st Cavalry, but the 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment is lucky to have him attached for the deployment. On a fateful night in December, as families across America were warm and cozy in their homes enjoying the holiday season, Bernal and his fellow Soldiers were in a fight for their lives. “We went back into the kill zone and used our vehicles to push the others out of the road and before long all of the vehicles were disabled,” Bernal remembered. “We See BRONZE STAR, page 7
Sgt. David Bernal receives the Bronze Star Medal with “V” Device. Photo by Spc. Erin Robicheaux