The Purple Heart Medal, the oldest American Military Medal, is awarded to military personnel killed or wounded in direct confrontation with another armed force. Since our war against terror began, we have lost some of the best and finest of our young and not so young heros. Here we will try to remember them. I pray there will be little need but will try to keep the list current. If I fail to pay tribute to a fallen hero here, please provide the necessary information so he or she may be added.

I have used "Last call" rather than "Taps" on this page. The Purple Heart Medal predates "Taps"and "Retreat". Last Call is appropriate.

I suggest we pray for the well-being of their families and our country.

CMSgt Robert E. Lusk, Jr., USAF-Ret
Active Sevice 1959-1986
1986-1989 Retired Reserve

Gold Star Moms

THESE HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE IN SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY

January 09, USMC, Sgt,Jeannette L. Winters, 25,
March 04, USA, Cpl, Matthew A. Commons, 21, Indianapolis

February 06, USA, Spc Brian Clemens, 19, Kokomo
March 17, USN, PO3 Jason Profitt, 23, Charlestown
March 23, USMC, Cpl David Fribley, 26, Warsaw
March 24, USA, Spc Gregory P. Sanders, 19, Hobart
March 31, USA National Guard, Spc William A. Jefferies, 39, Evansville
April 05, USMC, Sgt Duane Rios, 25, Griffith
April 23, USA, Spc Roy Buckley, 24, Portage
May 10, USMC, Lance Cpl Matthew R. Smith, 20, Anderson
June 07, USA, Pvt Jessee M. Halling, 19, Indianapolis
June 16, USA, Pvt Shawn Pahnke, 25, Shelbyville
July 07, USA, Spc Chad L. Keith, 21, Batesville
July 08, USA, Pvt Robert McKinley, 23, Kokomo
July 08, USA National Guard, SFC Craig A. Boling, 38, Elkhart
August 05, USA National Guard, SSgt David L. Loyd, 44, Terrehaute
August 25, USA, Spc Ronald D. Allen, Jr., 22, Mitchell
August 29, USA, SSgt, Mark A. Lawton, 41, Elkhart
September 20, USA, SSgt Frederick L. Miller, 27, Hagerstown
November 02, USA, Spc Brien Penisten, 28, Fort Wayne
November 23, USA National Grard, Cpl Darrell Smith, 28, Otwell
December 12, USA, Sgt Jarrod Black, 26, Peru

January 05, USA, Spc Luke Frist, 20, Brookston
January 23, USA, Chief Warrant Officer Brian D. Hazlegrove, 29, Edinburgh
March 21, USA, PFC Christopher E. Hudson, 21, Carmel
April 04, USA, PFC John "J.D." Amos, II, 20, Valparaiso
April 05, USMC, PFC Deryk L. Hallal, 24, Indianapolis
April 11, USMC, Lance Cpl Torrey L. Gray, 19, Indianapolis
May 29, USA, Spc Michael J. Wiesemann, 20, North Judson
July 02, USAR, SSgt Stephen G. Martin, 39, Warsaw
July 09, USA, Lt Robert E. Colvill, 31, Anderson
August 16, USA, Sgt David M. Heath, 30, LaPorte
August 26, USA, Luis A. Perez, 19, East Chicago
September 08, USA, Sgt James Daniel Faulkner, 23, Clarksville
September 21, USA, PFC Nathan E. Stahl, 20, Highland
October 28, USA, PFC Stephen P. Downing, II, 30, Mooresville
November 09, USA, Command Sergeant Major Steven W. Faulkenburg, 45,
Huntingburg
November 12, USMC, Sgt Morgan W. Strader, 23, Brownsburg
November 12, USA, Spc Raymond L. White, 22, Elwood
November 15, USMC, Lance Cpl Lance Thompson, 21, Grant County
November 15, USMC, Lance Cpl James Swain, 20, Kokomo
December 02, USMC Cpl Bryan Wislon, 22, Otterbein
December 05, USA, SSgt Marvin Lee Trost, 28, Elkhart
December 23, USMC, Lance Cpl Eric D. Hillenburg, 21, Avon

January 03, USA, Sgt Jeremy Robert Wright, 31, Shelby County
March 26, USA, Spc Brett M. Hershey, 23, Indianapolis
March 26, USA, Capt Michaed "Todd" Fiscus, 36, Milford
March 26, USA, MSgt Michael Hiester, 33, Bleffton
March 26, USA, Spc Norman "Kyle" Snyder, 21, Carlisle
June 28 - USA, sergeant First Class Marcus V. Muralles, Shelbyville

January 04, USA, Pvt Cory R. Depew, 21, Beech Grove
January 21, USA, Sgt Kyle William Childress, 29, Terre Haute
March 15, USA National Guard, Sgt Paul M. Hetzel, 39, South Bend/Franklin
April 28, USA , Pfc Robert W. Murray, Jr., 21, Westfield
April 28, USA , Pfc Darren A. Deblanc, 20, Evansville
June 21, USA, Spc Nicholas R. Idalski, 23, Crown Point
July 25, USA, Spc Adam J. Harting, 21, Portage
Aug 18, USA, Sgt Jeremy W. Doyle, Indianapolis
Oct 08, USA, SSgt Matthew A. Kimmell, Paxton
Oct 15, USA, Spc Jeffery W. Corbin, 30, Elkhart
Nov 12, USMC, Lnc Cpl Scott-Zubowski, 20, New Castle
Nov 19, USA, Cpl Jonathan F. Blair 21, Fort Wayne
Dec 30, USA, Pvt Jonathan R. Pfender, 22, Evansville

Mar 14, USAR, Spc Joshua Hill, 24, Fowlerton
July 02, USA, CWO William Timothy Flannigan, 37, Indianapolis
July 05, UAS, First Sergeant Jeffery McLochlin,45, Rochester

Jan 13, USA Spc Matthew C. Frantz, Lafayette
Feb 22, USA Sgt Rickey Jones, Kokomo
Mar 21 USA Spc Antoine McKinzie, Indianapolis
Apr 02, USMC SSgt Eric A. McIntosh, 23, Indianapolis
Apr 22, USMC Cpl Eric Lueken, Dubois
May 03, USA National Guard, Sgt Joseph E. Proctor, 38, Indianapolis
June 08, USA SSgt Richard Blakley, 34, Avon
July 03, USA SSgt Paul S. Pabla, 23, Fort Wayne
July 18, USA, Spc Nathaniel Baughman, Idaville
Sept 02, USA PFC Anthony P. Seig, 19, Sunman
Oct 01 , USMC Cpl Aaron Seal, 23, Elkhart
Oct 03, USA, SSgt, Jonathan Rojas, 27, Hammond
Oct 15, USMC Sgt Brock Babb, 40, Evansville
Oct 15, USMC Cpl Josua M. Hines, 26, IL (Terre Haute Unit)
Oct 19, USA Pfc Nathan J. Frigo, 23, Howard county
Nov 06, USMC LCpl, James Brown, 20, Owensville
Nov 22, USMC LCpl James R. Davenport, Brownsburg

June 16, USA SSgt Roy P. Lewsader, Jr., 36, Clinton
July 27, USA SSgt William Ryan Fritsche, 23, Martinsville

Feb 26, USA SSgt William Joseph Beardsly, 26, Indianapoplis
Apr 02, ANG SSgt Bradley King, 28, Lafontain
Apr 08, USA Pfc David N. Simmons, 20, Kokomo
Apr 12, USA Spc Jason Beadles, 22, Laporte
Apr 12, USA Spc Cody Putnam, 22, Monticello
Apr 16, USMC 1stLt Shaun M. Blue, 25, Munster
Apr 17, USA Pfc Richard Lagenbrunner, Fort Wayne
Apr 27, USA Pfc David Austin Kirkpatrick, Matthews
May 03, USA Spc Andrew R. Weiss, 28, West Lafayette
May 14, USA Pfc Nick Hartge, 20, Rome City
May 22, USA Sgt Joe Montgomery, 29, Scottsburg
May 26, USA Spc Clinton C. Blodgett, 19, Pekin
June 06, USAF TSgt (Special Agent AFOSI) Ryan A. Balmer, 33, Mishawaka
June 14, USA SSgt Michael A. Bechert, 24, New Castle
June 16, USA SSgt Roy Lewsader, 36, Clinton
June 18, USA Spc david Wilkey, Jr., 22, Elkhart
June 24, USA Spc Carter A. Gamble, Jr., 24, Brownstown
July 31, USAR, SPC, Zachariah Jared Gonzalez, 23, Indianapolis
Aug 14, USA Pfc Shawn Hensel, 20, Logansport
Aug 16, USA Pfc Willard M. Powell, 21, Evansville
Aug 23, USA Sgt 1st Class Adrian M. Elzade, Starke County
Aug 25, USMC Lnc Cpl Matthew Sauer Medlicott, Indiana
Sep 08, USA Cpl Ryan A. Woodward, 22, Fort Wayne
Sep 10, USA Sgt Nicholas Patterson, 24, Rochester
Sep 21, USA, Sgt Gerald J. Cassidy, 32,Westfield
Nov 08, USA, Capt Timothy I. McGovern, 28, Idaville
Nov 14, USA Sgt Kenneth Booker, 25, Vevay
Dec 12, USA Soldier Jonathan Alan Lahmann, Richmond

Mar 14, USA SSgt Collin J. Bowen, 38, Indiana, died of wounds suffered January 2nd
Jun 14, USMC LnCpl Layton Bradly Crass, 22, Richmond
Jun 19, USMC LnCpl Andrew Francis Whitacre, 21, Bryant
Jun 27, USA Staff Sergeant Travis K. Hunsberger, 24, Goshen
Aug 16, USA Staff Sergeant Kristopher Dan Rodgers, 29, Howe

Mar 17, USA SSgt Michael D. Elledge, 41, Brownsville
Aug 02, USA Sgt Brian K. Miller, 37, Pendleton
Aug 04, USA Sgt Gary Henry, 34, Indianapolis
Aug 04, USA Spc Janathan Menke, 22, Madison
Nov 06, USA Spc William Justin McClellan, 22, New Castle

Jan 09, USA Spc Joseph M. Hernandez, 24, Hammond
Oct 27, USA Sgt Dale Russel Griffin, Terre Haute

Feb 23, USA Pfc Zachary R. Nordmeyer, 21, Indianapolis
enter Privite Nordmeyer's name at Memorial
May 26, USAF SrA Ashton L. M. Goodman, Indianapolis

Jan 04, USA Pfc Brian Bowman, Montgomery County
Feb 18, USMC Sgt Jeremy McQueary, 27, Columbus
Feb 19, USMC Lnc Joshua Birchfield, Westville
Feb 19, USMC Cpl Gregory S. Stultz, 22, Brazil
May 05, USMC 1stLt Brandon A. Barrett, 27, Marion
Jun 07, USMC Sgt John Rankel, 23, Speedway
Jun 28, HSMC Cpl Daane D. DeBoer, 24, Valparaiso