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FALLEN SOLDIER MEMORIAL CEREMONY

AMERICAN LEGION POST 121 WACO, TEXAS

VETERANS DAY NOVEMBER 11, 2007

THE AMERICAN LEGION POST & UNIT 121, WACO, TEXAS, LOCATED AT 3rd & TENNESSEE, HOSTED A “FALLEN SOLDIER MEMORIAL CEREMONY” ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2007, AT 2:00PM. PLAQUES WERE PRESENTED TO THE FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS FROM THE BELLMEAD, LORENA, WEST AND WACO AREAS THAT HAVE FALLEN IN COMBAT SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. FAMILIES RECEIVING THE PLAQUES WERE: THE FAMILY OF SPC JAVIER ANTONIO VILLANUEVA, PRESENTED BY BELLMEAD MAYOR, ROBERT HAWKINS; THE FAMILY OF GYSGT JOHN DAVID FRY, PRESENTED BY LORENA MAYOR, CHUCK ROPER; THE FAMILY OF SPC JEFFREY PAUL SHAFFER, PRESENTED BY WEST MAYOR, JERREL BOLTON AND THE FAMILY OF LANCE CPL JOHNNY RAY STRONG, PRESENTED BY WACO MAYOR, VIRGINIA DUPUY.

RESOLUTION WERE PRESENTED TO THE FAMILIES BY THE AMERICAN LEGION POST COMMANDER EDDIE HALE, WACO POST 440, PAST POST 121 COMMANDER ALTON LEUSCHNER, WHO PRESENTED FOR LORENA POST 123, POST COMMANDER KENNETH POPP, WEST POST 478 AND BOTH THE COMMANDER & PRESIDENT FROM WACO POST & UNIT 121, CLAYTON HUESKE AND TONE’ MAHON. STATE REPRESENTATIVES DIANNE WHITE DELISI, CHARLES “DOC” ANDERSON AND JIM DUNNAM PRESENTED TEXAS FLAGS. (DIANNE WHITE DELISE AND JIM DUNNAM WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND, HOWEVER, RUSSELL DEVORSKY, AIDE TO JIM DUNNAM, PRESENTED IN HIS ABSENCE.) GUEST SPEAKER FOR THE CEREMONY WAS CONGRESSMAN CHET EDWARDS. CONGRESSMAN EDWARDS ALSO PRESENTED EACH FAMILY WITH A GOLD STAR BANNER. DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE FALLEN SOLDIER MEMORIAL PROGRAM CINDY MOEYKENS LITTLE ELM POST 182, READ A VERY TOUCHING POEM FOR THE FAMILIES, AND ANN HARDER SANG THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AND GOD BLESS AMERICA.

THE FOUR HONORED FOR THEIR SACRIFICE WERE: ARMY SPC. JAVIER ANTONIO VILLANUEVA, OF BELLMEAD, DIED NOV. 24, 2005, IN AL ASAD, IRAQ. THE 25-YR OLD WAS KILLED WHEN AN IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DETONATED NEAR HIS PATROL. Villanueva attended Waco and then LaVega High School, where he graduated. He was the father of one daughter, Taliyah.

MARINE GUNNERY SGT. JOHN DAVID FRY, OF LORENA, DIED MARCH 8, 2006, IN AL ANBAR PROVINCE OF IRAQ. THE 28 YR OLD WAS KILLED WHEN A BOMB HE TRIED TO DISARM DETONATED. He enlisted soon after graduating as salutatorian from Waco Christian Academy. He was the father of three young children: daughter, Kathryn Michelle; sons, Gideon David and C.L.

ARMY SPC. JEFFREY PAUL SHAFFER, OF WEST, DIED SEPT. 13, 2006, IN RAMADI, IRAQ. THE 21 YR OLD WAS KILLED BY A ROADSIDE BOMB WHILE RIDING IN A HUMMER. He attended West High School before leaving Texas and signing up for the Army. He was the father of one daughter, Makayla Grace.

MARINE LANCE CPL. JOHNNY RAY STRONG, OF WACO, DIED JUNE 12, 2007, IN AL ANBAR PROVINCE OF IRAQ. THE 21 YR OLD WAS KILLED WHEN HIS PLATOON WAS AMBUSHED DURING A ROUTINE PATROL. He gradated from A. J. Moore Academy.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH spent Veterans Day in Waco sitting among the families of the four area soldiers killed in Iraq during the ceremony honoring their service. About 400 people attended the solemn and tearful memorial service at American Legion Post 121 in Waco. The President sat in the audience for almost and hour watching as each of the families were presented with banners, plaques, Texas Flags and proclamations. President took the stage to praise their sacrifice and that of their families, as well as the service of veterans across the country. He said, “The valor and selfless devotion of these men fills their families with immeasurable pride, yet this pride cannot fill the hole in their hearts or relieve the burden of grief that will remain for a lifetime.” Bush also warned that enemies of the United States want to strike the country again and “kill Americans on a scale that will make 9/11 pale by comparison.” He said the families of fallen soldiers across the nation need to know that their loved ones “served a cause that is good and just and noble.’ Bush also said, “and as their commander-in-chief, I make you this promise: Their sacrifice will not be in vain.” After the ceremony President Bush met privately with the families of the four soldiers, who are among the more than 3,860 members of the U.S. Military who have died in Iraq since 2003.

Malia Fry, wife of John Fry, said it meant a lot to hear the president say he intends to stay the course in Iraq. He told her, “If we keep doing what we are doing, eventually we will have allies in the Middle East and there will be peace there.” Many family members said having the President in attendance made the ceremony an especially unforgettable and encouraging experience. Malia said, her husband would have been deeply honored by the event, but would probably wondered what all the hoopla was about, because he believed he was just doing his job.

In attendance at the ceremony was Charles Boatright, Little Elm, Tx., who envisioned the Fallen Soldier Memorial Plaque Program after the loss of his nephew Sgt Michael “Luke” Boatright in Iraq. Sgt Boatright and members of his unit had made a pact to be buried together should they fall in the line of duty. He was laid to rest with members of his unit that had fallen before him in the National Cemetery in San Antonio. Unfortunately for his family he is buried far from his hometown. Charles Boatright had a small plaque made with an etching of his nephew and presented it to Luke’s mother. After seeing the incredible reaction of the family, he enlisted the help of the American Legion to help with the mission of presenting this type of plaque to the families of all fallen soldiers from Texas. His vision became a reality, and we continue to honor those who serve, and those who made that ultimate sacrifice defending the freedom of all Americans.

SPC JAVIER ANTONIO VILLANUEVA - BELLMEAD US ARMY NOVEMBER 24, 2005	GYSGT JOHN DAVID FRY - LORENA US MARINES MARCH 8, 2006
SPC JEFFREY PAUL SHAFFER - WEST US ARMY SEPTEMBER 12, 2006	LANCE CPL JOHNNY RAY STRONG - WACO US MARINES JUNE 12, 2007