Knox NCO killed in Iraq

Turret Online ^ | Feb. 12, 2004 | Fort Knox Public Affairs Office

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for sharing this with us! Indeed, I shall keep all of them in my prayers.

[U S Army EOD]

I really appreciate you doing that.

[SLB]

I tried to see the soldiers from Ft Knox off last year and welcome them home this year. It is sad that some of those returning ceremonies are with the next of kin.

The really sobering part of the memorial service was the entire pew of wives of the memebers of the 703rd that are still in Iraq. They are SO young! Many younger than my own daughters or my son who happened to turn 27 today, the same age as SSG Ramey.

[U S Army EOD]

I was all of 23 years old when I was promoted to captain. I kind of wonder how I did it. I was 28 when I was in Vietnam and one of the oldest in the unit.

I think I felt more mature then than I do now.

[SLB]

Let me add a small story from the service as told by SSG Max Voelz, the widower of SSG Kim Voelz. This is a paraphrase, but very close:

Last fall right before deployment to Iraq the members of the 703rd were on one of the Ft Knox ranges with the Barrett .50 cal rifle. The targets were helium filled balloons. At the completion of the range, SSG Ramey took the left over balloons, inflated them and filled the commanders office with them from floor to ceiling. My kind of prank.

[Riley]

My kind of prank.

Oh, don't get me started on service pranks. A buddy of mine made the skipper freak out so many times that he's probably collecting PTSD disability by now.

[SLB]

I was all of 23 years old when I was promoted to captain.

Yep, I was a 20 year old buck sergeant. I wanted to spend my 21st birthday on R&R in Australia, but missed it by about a week. I think I was more mature in many ways at 20 - 21 than I see in some of the soldiers now who are in their 30's.

[U S Army EOD]

During the ATT at Redstone Arsenal, we had one of our detachments get bored (I will not give names or unit number), steal a post maintnance vehicle and work clothes. They made up a work order to paint the missles at the main gate. They showed the work order to the MP's at the gate explaining they had to use PINK paint primer first. Right out in front of God and everybody on a Sunday, they proceded to paint the missles pink and that is the color they were on the next Monday.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for sharing that!

[Squantos]

EOD Prank 101........fill yer commanders umbrella with a dozen packs of koolaid and fold it back up. When it rains and yer CO pops open the umbrella trying to be fashionable and dry he'll get doused with dry cool aid and toss down the umbrella and then look like a big box of crayolas best as the rain works the koolaid into his Class B's.......

EOD Prank 102.......replace half your yer CO's shampoo with Nair. Take his dosemiter off the common rack and nuke it as ya test the goldenrod Mk 36 X-Ray with 99 pulses. Loss of Hair and high dosimeter readings will build healthy respect......

Bless these folks for what they risk for us all day to day......Thanks for speaking for me to the family SLB.

Stay Safe !

[windchime]

Bump!

[SLB]

The 55 series MOS enlisted and the 160 MOS warrants in Germany pulled one prank that due to security will have to go to the grave with me.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I gave the regards of the Free Republic EOD community to SSG Ramey's dad and mom. They seemed at this time to be holding up very well. Make sure you keep them and all parents, wives, husbands, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers of our armed forces in your prayers.

Thank you, SLB.

Praying daily for our troops, their families, loved ones and friends ~ along with an 'army' of FReepers.

[SLB]

Here is a link to a story on the memorial service in the local paper. http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/articles/2004/02/15/news/news01.txt

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the link! Hugs!