Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Our Latest American Hero #80


michaeljslater
Originally uploaded by Randuwa.
Army Pvt. Michael J. Slater, 19, of Scott Depot, W. Va., died Apr. 21 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle rolled over during combat operations. Slater was assigned to the 407th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

(I was surfing the web earlier this evening when I came across an article about Pvt Slater which included that fact that he and his mother picked out his casket together in the event that he should die in Iraq. It was a very touching article in a West Virginia news paper. That was about 2 hours ago, and now I can't find hide nor hair of any such article! What's going on? The one that I did find I am including along with the annotation that it was "up-dated". In my previous surf I found several articles; and on this look only a couple.....) On a side note: In Russia today, it was announced that 50% of all news stories about Russia MUST BE POSITIVE. Das Vedanya!

"Putnam County Teen Killed In Iraq"
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2007 ; 06:16 PM
Updated Tuesday, April 24, 2007 ; 06:37 PM

Michael Slater was involved in a vehicle rollover accident.

WINFIELD -- A Putnam County teenager who was killed in Iraq is being remembered as a funny, giving individual who wanted nothing more than to be in the Army.

On Saturday, 19-year-old Private Michael Slater died in a non-hostile vehicle rollover accident in Iraq.

He had been there only a month when he was killed in a vehicle rollover accident.

"He had called me Sunday before, I could barely hear him, and he said I love you mom," said Patricia Slater, Michael's mother, adding the last words he said to her were pray for me.,

During a visit home last month, Patricia Slater said Michael sensed he might not make it back from Iraq.

She said her son was determined to succeed in the Army.

"It makes me feel better that he applied himself, and doing something he enjoyed, and he felt like he was part of a good program, and he was making progress," said Chuck Slater, Michael's father.

Slater was part of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

i knew him from basic training...wow he will be missed..i cannot believe this happened he was so awsome...i miss him...