Honor those Killed in Action in 2013

Honor the men and women who have given their lives for the United States of America during 2013 during the War on Terror in Afghanistan.  All names below are printed on the back of the T-shirt.  Pay tribute to these brave and loyal Americans who were Killed in Action. 

T-shirts honoring Heroes from 2001 - to date will be made during June & July.  If you are interested in a specific year, please e-mail our Operations Director, Deanna, at Operations@UntilEveryTroopComesHome.org to be notified when the year you would like is available.

The color of the shirt is red to signify the blood that drained the life from these Heroes due the wounds they suffered while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn. 

The soldier's cross shows the deepest loss a country can feel - the loss of a Hero. The helmet that this warrior wore to protect him from fatal shots covers his rifle. Dog tags hang from the downward facing rifle an indication the Hero who was fatally wounded in action. The boots that walked hundreds of miles in sand and mud now stand upright, yet void of the warrior who wore them day and night. 

That evening, comrades’ stand in formation as roll call begins. Names are called by the commanding officer. All military service members’ answer to their names until there is silence as the name of a Fallen Hero is called. It is repeated. Once. Twice. Three times. But, it is met with silence for that Hero was tragically killed in action. This Hero's name is called for the very last roll call in his company. 

During that roll call in a faraway land, comrades stand for a 21 gun salute followed by the last salute for their friend. Tears flow freely without fear of judgment.  Each warrior knows in their heart that the soldier's cross that he kneels before,  could very well have been his own. The commanding officer of this Hero's platoon stands and speaks from his heart on the leadership skills and talents this warrior demonstrated during his service in the military.   

Meanwhile, in the United States there is a knock at the door of a family sitting down for dinner. Their laughter and smiles are interrupted by two men in uniform from the United States military. The inevitable words come but are lost immediately in the sound of screams, uncontrollable sobbing and devastation. This American family's world crashes into a million pieces like a shattered mirror that will never retain its original shape and reflect beauty. 

There were 132 families in 2013 that were shattered and torn apart by the echoing words their hearts will never forget, 'We regret to inform you...'  There are 132 families who have lost holidays, birthdays and will never have the opportunity to create new memories with their loved one due to the War on Terror.   

We know this because in 2010, our family became broken ourselves. 

So many people have asked our family, 'Is there is anything I can do?' when they learn that we are a Gold Star Family. Our answer which is always the same, a simple but profound, 'Remember him.' 

The families of Fallen Heroes (aka Gold Star Families) want their loved ones to be remembered, to be honored and to live on because they live on through us. No family will ever 'get over it' or 'move on' simply because we cannot. There is no judge, jury or a trial when our loved one is Killed in Action. We live with the pain each and every day. We hope that each person purchases a shirt; not because the proceeds directly help send care packages but because as a Gold Star family, we know what it feels like when people forget (and unfortunately, people do forget.) 

Don't forget these men and women. They belong to someone. They are Our Heroes but they are also someone's son, daughter, mom, dad, brother, sister, grandchild and friend. They are missed beyond belief. Please purchase a t-shirt to pay your respect to these warriors who paid the ultimate sacrifice and whose families are still paying for it.    
Until Every Troop Comes Home, Inc. is founded and operated by the family of Fallen Hero, Marine Lance Corporal Nathaniel 'Nate' Schultz, Killed in Action 08/21/2010 while serving in Afghanistan.
  

Join Until Every Troop Comes Home, Inc. as we honor those 132 men and women who gave their today for our tomorrow.  The hardest part about losing your loved one is the thought that one day they will be forgotten.  

“We know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death.  They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make.  Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories.  We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love.” 

Army Sgt. Aaron X. Wittman 
Army Sgt. David J. Chambers 
Army Sgt. Mark H. Schoonhoven 
Marine Staff Sgt. Jonathan D. Davis 
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Larry Bunn 
Army Spc. Cody D. Suggs 
Army Staff Sgt. Steven P. Blass 
Army Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Henderson 
Army Capt. Sara M. Knutson 
Army Capt. Andrew M. Pedersen-Keel 
Army Staff Sgt. Rex L. Schad 
Army Staff Sgt. Marc A. Scialdo 
Army Spc. Zachary L. Shannon 
Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician (SW) Christian M. Pike 
Army Spc. David T. Proctor 
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 James E. Groves III 
Army Sgt. 1st Class James F. Grissom 
Army Sgt. Tristan M. Wade 
Army Sgt. Michael C. Cable 
Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Curtis S. Reagan 
Air Force Capt. James M. Steel 
Army Spc. Wilbel A. Robles-Santa 
Army Spc. Delfin M. Santos 
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Ward 
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew P. Ruffner 
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jarett M. Yoder 
Army Pfc. Barrett L. Austin 
Army Capt. Aaron R. Blanchard 
Army 1st Lt. Robert J. Hess 
Air Force Capt. Brandon L. Cyr 
Air Force Staff Sgt. Richard A. Dickson 
Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel N. Fannin 
Air Force Capt. Reid K. Nishizuka 
Army Staff Sgt. Michael H. Simpson 
Army Pfc. Charles P. McClure 
Army Spc. Trinidad Santiago Jr. 
Air Force Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III 
Air Force Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney 
Air Force Capt. Mark T. Voss 
Army Spc. Kevin Cardoza 
Marine Staff Sgt. Eric D. Christian 
Army 1st. Lt. Brandon J. Landrum 
Army Spc. Thomas P. Murach 
Army Staff Sgt. Francis G. Phillips IV 
Army Spc. Brandon J. Prescott 
Marine Cpl. David M. Sonka 
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey C. Baker 
Army Spc. Mitchell K. Daehling 
Army Spc. William J. Gilbert 
Army Spc. Cody J. Towse 
Army Sgt. 1st Class Trenton L. Rhea 
Army Sgt. Eugene M. Aguon 
Army Spc. Dwayne W. Flores 
Army Spc. Christopher R. Drake 
Army Staff Sgt. Joe A. Nunez Rodriguez 
Army Spc. Ray A. Ramirez 
Army Pfc. Mariano M. Raymundo 
Army Staff Sgt. Job M. Reigoux 
Army Spc. Kyle P. Stoeckli 
Army Warrant Officer Sean W. Mullen 
Army Spc. Robert A. Pierce 
Army 2nd Lt. Justin L. Sisson 
Army Lt. Col. Todd J. Clark 
Army Lt. Col. Jaimie E. Leonard 
Army Staff Sgt. Jesse L. Thomas Jr. 
Army Staff Sgt. Marek Soja 
Marine Lance Cpl. Jared W. Brown 
Army Spc. Ember M. Alt 
Army Spc. Robert W. Ellis 
Army Staff Sgt. Justin R. Johnson 
Army Sgt. William R. Moody 
Army Sgt. Corey E. Garver 
Army Sgt. Javier Sanchez Jr. 
Army Sgt. Justin R. Rogers 
Army Spc. Hilda I. Clayton 
Army 1st Sgt. Tracy L. Stapley 
Army Pfc. Errol D.A. Milliard 
Marine Lance Cpl. Benjamin Tuttle 
Army Staff Sgt. Sonny C. Zimmerman 
Army Sgt. Anthony R. Maddox 
Army Spc. Rob L. Nichols 
Army 1st Lt. Jonam J. Russell 
Army Sgt. Stefan M. Smith 
Army Staff Sgt. Eric T. Lawson 
Army Sgt. Caryn E. Nouv 
Army Staff Sgt. Stephen M. New 
Army Spc. Nicholas B. Burley 
Army Spc. Nickolas S. Welch 
Army Spc. Keith E. Grace Jr. 
Army Staff Sgt. Octavio Herrera 
Army Sgt. Jamar A. Hicks 
Army 1st Lt. Timothy G. Santos Jr. 
Army Master Sgt. George A. Bannar Jr. 
Army Spc. Kenneth Clifford Alvarez 
Army Pfc. Jonathon Michael Dean Hostetter 
Army 1st Lt. Jason Togi 
Army Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis 
Army Sgt. 1st Class Ricardo Young 
Army Staff Sgt Joshua Bowden 
Air Force Staff Sgt. Todd J. Lobraico Jr. 
Army Staff Sgt. Randall R. Lane 
Army Staff Sgt. Robert E. Thomas Jr. 
Army Sgt. William D. Brown III 
Army Spc. James T. Wickliff-Chacin 
Army Staff Sgt. Timothy R. McGill 
Army Staff Sgt. Liam J. Nevins 
Army Sgt. Joshua J. Strickland 
Navy Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jonathan S. Gibson 
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Landon L. Jones 
Army Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Baysore Jr. 
Lance Cpl. Jeremiah M. Collins Jr. 
Army Spc. Angel L. Lopez 
Army Sgt. Patrick C. Hawkins 
Army Capt. Jennifer M. Moreno 
Army Spc. Cody J. Patterson 
Army Sgt. Joseph M. Peters 
Army Staff Sgt. Patrick H. Quinn 
Army Staff Sgt. Lyle D. Turnbull 
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Christopher O. Grant 
Army Sgt. 1st Class Forrest W. Robertson 
Army Staff Sgt. Richard L. Vazquez 
Army Staff Sgt. Alex A. Viola 
Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Rodriguez 
Construction Mechanic 1st Class James L. Smith 
Army Staff Sgt. Jesse L. Williams 
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy L. Billings 
Army Sgt. Peter Bohler 
Army Sgt. 1st Class Omar W. Forde 
Army Spc. Terry K. D. Gordon 
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua B. Silverman 
Marine Sgt. Daniel M. Vasselian 
Air Force Capt. David I. Lyon


Remember Them
By Jeff Hooker 
Lying here beneath this ground
Never again to make a sound
When alive, they were so brave
And carried honor into the grave

They were all the best of men
Courage earned by all of them
Medals pinned upon their chest
At last the peace, of final rest

In the ranks they stood so strong
Voices raised in battle songs
Marching forward defying fear
For the land they loved so dear

On that final Judgement Day
When they all stand up to say
We gave up all we owned you see
At duties call to set men free

So when the flag waves in the wind
If but a moment, Remember Them
For they all paid the final cost
So freedoms truth, would not be lost