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Age 22, of North Bergen. Died during a training exercise at Kandahar Airbase in Afghanistan.
82nd Airborne DivisionSgt. Marcos Gorra, 22, of North BergenAge: 22
Hometown: North Bergen
Circumstances: Died during a training exercise at Kandahar Airbase in Afghanistan.
Star-Ledger coverage:
-- Funeral honors North Bergen soldier who died in Afghanistan
-- North Bergen soldier dies in Afghanistan
Age 22, of Cherry Hill. Died when a suicide bomber attacked members of his unit while on patrol in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy Kane in an undated photo.
Age: 22
Hometown: Cherry Hill
Circumstances: Died when a suicide bomber attacked members of his unit while on patrol in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan.
-- U.S. Marine from Cherry Hill is killed in Afghanistan
Age 25, of Westwood. Killed when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province.
U.S. MarinesSgt. Chris Hrbek Age: 25
Hometown: Westwood
Circumstances: Killed when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province.
-- Marine from Bergen County killed in Afghanistan will receive Bronze Star
-- Bergen County town honors Marine killed in Afghanistan with display of flags
Age 22, of Villas. Killed along with seven other U.S. soldiers during a fierce daylong attack by insurgents in a forward operating base in Afghanistan.
The Press of Atlantic CityMichael Scusa
Hometown: Villas
Circumstances: Killed along with seven other U.S. soldiers during a fierce daylong attack by insurgents in a forward operating base in Afghanistan.
-- Fallen Jersey soldier was known for his military passion
-- Soldier killed in Afghanistan will be remembered at local service where he grew up
-- Soldier from Lower Township killed in Afghanistan will be buried in Colorado
Age 29, of Somerville. Died in the town of Yakhchal, Afghanistan from wounds he suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit.
Age: 29
Hometown: Somerville
Circumstances: Died in the town of Yakhchal, Afghanistan from wounds he suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit.
-- Family, friends mourn soldier from Somerville killed in Afghanistan
-- Memorial services to begin Monday for fallen N.J. soldier
-- Somerville soldier killed in Afghanistan is mourned by family, friends
Age 19, of Galloway. Died of injuries from a noncombat-related incident in Tallil, Iraq.
Photo courtesy of Iorio familyArmy Pvt. Bradley Iorio
Age: 19
Hometown: Galloway
Circumstances: Died of injuries from a noncombat-related incident in Tallil, Iraq.
-- Galloway man dies while serving in Iraq
Age 25, of Paterson. One of five soldiers killed in a shooting at Camp Liberty in Iraq.
Age: 25
Hometown: Paterson
Circumstances: One of five soldiers killed in a shooting at Camp Liberty in Iraq. Sgt. Bueno-Galdos was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany.
-- Paterson family mourns soldier killed in Camp Liberty shooting in Iraq
-- Paterson soldier slain at Camp Liberty shooting wanted to study medicine
-- Paterson soldier is named as one of victims in deadly Iraq shooting
Age 26, of Union Beach. Killed when his vehicle was struck by an explosive on a Baghdad street.
Age: 26
Hometown: Union Beach
Circumstances: Killed when his vehicle was struck by an explosive on a Baghdad street.
A YOUNG SOLDIER'S DREAM CUT SHORT Union Beach family mourns the loss of a husband and son killed in Iraq
By Leslie Kwoh and Joe Ryan/The Star-Ledger, March 1, 2009
During most of their five short months of marriage, Spc. Brian M. Connelly and his wife saw each other only through webcams.
Such is the fate of a couple separated by war.
So Brian and Kara Connelly made the best of it, booting up computers as often as they could to exchange words and smiles beamed halfway around the globe between Iraq and Monmouth County. Even their engagement came via webcams.
"It wasn't really all that romantic," said Kara Connelly, 23. She cherished the moment nonetheless.
On Thursday, Kara Connelly gazed at her husband for the last time. Four hours later, he was killed when his vehicle was struck by an explosive on a Baghdad street, the Department of Defense said yesterday.
Bodytext:
Brian Connelly is at least the 106th member of the armed services with ties to New Jersey to die in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Kara Connelly, her face streaked with tears, stood in the kitchen of her husband's boyhood home yesterday and mourned the fun-loving, blue-eyed soldier she had a crush on since high school.
"He was just awesome," she said. "He was good-hearted. He was funny. He was everything."
Brian Connelly, 26, grew up in Union Beach, a postage-stamp-size town on the Raritan Bay, about 10 miles south of Perth Amboy. At 2 square miles, it is a place where people can't help but know one another.
Brian and Kara Connelly were married by the borough's mayor, Paul Smith. He ordered flags in town yesterday to be lowered to half-staff in Connelly's honor.
"He was so young," Smith said.
Brian Connelly grew up in a one-story house at the end of a cul-du-sac. Yellow ribbons fluttered on the front porch yesterday. A banner on the house read: "Bring Our Troops Home."
Inside, Connelly's mother, Jean Dammann, clung to her husband and wept. She decried Army recruiters who persuaded her son to pull on a uniform.
"They shouldn't be able to talk to our kids in high school," said Dammann, 44.
Connelly was born Brian Blonske and was the older of two boys. He recently took the name Connelly, his mother's maiden name, she said.
The family lives minutes from the Raritan Bay. As a boy, Connelly trolled the waters for fluke and weakfish. "He just loved being on the water," said Mark Dammann, 48, his stepfather.
Connelly had little interest in school, his family said. He liked reading about mechanics and philosophy but did not care for textbooks, they said.
His brother, Kevin Connelly, recalled him as rowdy and loyal. He loved raucous music, mosh pits and once saved his younger sibling from a rip tide. Another time, Connelly smacked his little brother in mouth with a hockey stick, knocking out his front teeth.
After graduating from Red Bank Regional High School in 2000, Connelly enrolled in Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, where he studied computer technology for about 18 months. He joined an electricians union, then was laid off.
Unemployed and directionless in 2007, Connelly turned back to the Army recruiters he had met as a teenager, his mother said.
"He was having a hard time finding a job," she said
Connelly knew his mother did not want him to join the Army. After enlisting, he put off telling her for almost 10 days, she said.
His first assignment was in Germany. Shortly after, he and Kara began their long-distance courtship. They had met nearly a decade earlier, and she always admired him. But they remained friends, she said.
A year ago, Brian Connelly stared into a webcam and sprung the question.
"Yes," she said.
Connelly shipped off to Iraq two months later. He was a member of the 40th Engineer Battalion, Task Force 1-6, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.
The couple married in September, while Connelly was home on an 18-day leave. The wedding was at the Keyport Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. She wore a white summery dress. He wore khaki slacks and a white shirt. They honeymooned in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
After finishing his Army stint, Connelly hoped to land a construction job to help pay for his wife's college. They talked about moving south, to someplace warm and affordable.
And they looked forward to seeing each other without webcams.
"All he wanted to do was come home and start a family," Connelly's mother said.
Staff writers Sharon Adarlo and Nyier Abdou contributed to this report.
Age 20, of Spotswood. Died from injuries resulting from an improvised explosive device explosion in Baghdad.
Age: 20
Hometown: Spotswood
Circumstances: Died from injuries resulting from an improvised explosive device explosion in Baghdad.
Soldier from Spotswood is killed in Iraq
by Sue Epstein/The Star-Ledger Friday August 29, 2008, 2:45 PM
A 20-year-old Army reservist from Spotswood has been killed in Iraq, his parents said in a statement released this afternoon.
Army Reserve Spec. Michael Gonzalez, a 2006 graduate of Spotswood High School and military police officer, was killed as a result of injuries from an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.
"Our family is saddened and sorrowful. Michael was a wonderful son and a great solider who died fighting for what he believed in," read the statement from Pedro and Ida Gonzalez.
Gonzalez joined the borough police department's junior police academy while he was in high school. He had hoped to become a police officer when he returned from Iraq, Spotswood Police Chief Karl Martin said.
'He was everything we want in a police officer. He is a courageous young man. He wanted to make a difference in society," Martin said.
Gonzalez joined the 340th Military Police Company of shortly before deploying with his unit from Fort Dix to Iraq earlier this summer. He arrived in Iraq last month.
Mayor Thomas Barlow said Gonzalez's death is an "absolute tragedy."
"He was just a tremendous young man," Barlow said. "This is a tragic loss for the borough, for the country, for the army and, most especially for his family."
Flags in Spotswood are flying at half staff today. Gonzalez is at least the 104th service member with ties to New Jersey to die in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Age 29, of Woodlynne. Died in a "non-hostile incident" in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
Hometown: Woodlynne
Circumstances: Died in a "non-hostile incident" in Helmand Province in Afghanistan
Marine from Camden County dies in Afghanistan
by The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk Friday July 18, 2008, 5:28 PM
Marine Lt. Jason D. Mann of Woodlynne, Camden County, died Tuesday in a "non-hostile incident" in Helmand Province in Afghanistan, the Pentagon announced this afternoon.
No other details surrounding the death of Mann, 29, were made immediately available by the Department of Defense. Mann was assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
He was the 103rd service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Age: 20 Hometown: Stillwater Circumstances: Not released
Hometown: Stillwater
Circumstances: Not released
The Star-Ledger Archive COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2008
Date: 2008/07/16 Wednesday
STEVENSON
OBITUARY LCpl. Jeffery Stevenson, of U.S. Marine Corps, 20
Lance Corporal Jeffery S. Stevenson, U.S.M.C., 20, of Stillwater died on Sunday, July 13, 2008, in Iraq.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church of Newton, 54 High St., Newton. Interment will follow in Stillwater Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, 63 High St., Newton.
Born in Stroudsburg, Pa., Lance Corporal Stevenson spent his early childhood in Marshalls Creek, Pa. He was a 2006 graduate of Kittatinny Regional High School and joined the United States Marine Corps six months after his graduation from high school. LCpl. Stevenson was a U.S.M.C. machinist with the 7th Engineers Support Battalion, 1st Marine Division, stationed in Camp Pendleton in San Diego, Calif.
He was a loving, respectful son and a happy, smiling kid. LCpl. Stevenson joined the Marines knowing full well what could happen, but he didn't let that stop him. When he wanted something, LCpl. Stevenson did not let anything stand in his way.
LCpl. Stevenson is survived by his mother and father, Karen and Joe Solarino of Stillwater; his brother and best friend, Senior Airman Robert L. Stevenson, who is stationed at Fort Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo.; his sister-in-law, Brienne Stevenson; his niece, Taylor Stevenson, also of Cheyenne; his maternal grandparents, Robert and Shirley Newton of Marshalls Creek; and many aunts, uncles and close cousins.
Memorial donations may be made to Wounded Warriors, 10730 Pacific St., Suite 10, Omaha, Neb. 68114.
COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2008
Date: 2008/07/20
Marine's message: `Don't feel bad for me'
Stevenson loved what he was doing, recalls his brother at funeral
By LESLIE KWOH STAR-LEDGER STAFF
Dozens of residents stood along the backcountry roads of Sussex County yesterday morning to watch a funeral procession carry a fallen Marine back home.
In tiny Stillwater, a town of 4,300, it was a chance to give a simple but heartfelt farewell to Lance Cpl. Jeffery Stevenson, 20, who died in Iraq last Sunday from what military officials called "non-hostile causes."
As his older brother, Air Force Senior Airman Robert Stevenson, 23, led the motorcade to Stillwater Cemetery riding Jeffery's orange Honda motorcycle, residents along the 10-mile stretch showed their support.
One woman, a giant American flag hung on her white wooden fence, wiped away tears. A man driving in the opposite direction pulled over and stood by the side of the road with his young son, their heads bowed.
The procession had begun at the First Presbyterian Church of Newton. Nearly 150 friends and family members -- some from Texas and South Carolina -- listened as Stevenson's stepfather recalled an "always smiling" stepson.
"Well, Jeff, your friends and family are all here today," Joe Solarino ended haltingly, then gently patted the flag-draped coffin.
The coffin was then carried from the church by a Marine honor guard while a church organist played "Amazing Grace."
As of yesterday, the circumstances surrounding Stevenson's death were still unclear, and military officials said it could be a year before they release autopsy results, the family said.
Stevenson was the 103rd service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Iraq or Afghanistan, and the first of two Marines from the state to die last week in what military officials called non-hostile circumstances. Two days after Stevenson's death, Lt. Jason D. Mann of Woodlynne, Camden County, died in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
Those close to Stevenson described him yesterday as "humble" and "easygoing" but also "adventurous," and said he was looking forward to coming home when his term ended in September. Stevenson had joined the Marines within six months of graduating from Kittatinny Regional High School in 2006, following his older brother into the military service.
Enzo Corleto, 50, the father of Jeffery's best friend Joey, said he had spoken to Stevenson over the phone several weeks ago. The Marine talked about the hot weather at Camp Fallulah in western Iraq, where he was serving as a machinist. He talked about how he was looking forward to coming home so he could show off three new tattoos, Corleto said.
"He seemed to be in very good spirits," Corleto said.
In recent months, Robert Stevenson said, he and his brother had begun making plans to finish out their terms, move to California and try to join the Los Angeles Police Department. They were planning to bring along their parents, Joe and Karen Solarino, he said.
"We had so many plans," he said.
But he added that his brother succeeded in fulfilling his biggest dream by joining the Marines.
"We had a talk before he went," said Robert Stevenson, who is home on leave from his base in Wyoming. "He said: `Tell my friends and family that if anything happens, don't feel bad for me. It's what I want to do.'"
Gov. Jon Corzine signed an executive order Friday to have all the state departments and agencies fly their flags at half-staff Tuesday.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Staff writer Amy Ellis Nutt contributed to this report. Leslie Kwoh may be reached at lkwoh@starledger.com or (973) 539-7910.
Date: 2008/07/16
Brother prepares to bury Marine
Probe into death continues, he says By MIKE FRASSINELLI STAR-LEDGER STAFF
As he prepared to bury his best friend and brother, Senior Airman Robert L. Stevenson said yesterday the investigation was continuing into the noncombat-related death over the weekend of Lance Cpl. Jeffery S. Stevenson.
Jeffery Stevenson, 20, a Marine from Stillwater, Sussex County, died Sunday in Iraq.
Robert Stevenson, 23, back home from Fort Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo., said military officials had no new information yesterday on the death of the little brother he described as "really mature for his age."
Meanwhile, funeral arrangements were finalized by Smith-McCracken Funeral Home of Newton. The funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, 54 High St., Newton, with interment to follow in Stillwater Cemetery.
Visiting is scheduled for 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, 63 High St., Newton. Memorial donations may be made to Wounded Warriors, 10730 Pacific St., Suite 10, Omaha, Neb. 68114.
Born in Stroudsburg, in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, Jeffery Stevenson spent his early childhood in Marshalls Creek, Pa. He graduated in 2006 from Kittatinny Regional High School and joined the Marines six months later.
He was a machinist with the 7th Engineers Support Battalion, 1st Marine Division, stationed in Camp Pendleton in San Diego.
"He was a loving, respectful son and a happy, smiling kid," his obituary read. "LCpl Stevenson joined the Marines knowing full well what could happen, but he didn't let that stop him. When he wanted something, LCpl Stevenson did not let anything stand in his way."
In addition to his brother, he is survived by his mother and father, Karen and Joe Solarino of Stillwater; his sister-in-law, Brienne Stevenson, and his niece, Taylor Stevenson, also of Cheyenne; his maternal grandparents, Robert and Shirley Newton of Marshalls Creek; and many aunts, uncles and close cousins.
Date: 2008/07/15
Autopsy is set for Marine who loved the Corps By JOE MOSZCZYNSKI AND WAYNE WOOLLEY STAR-LEDGER STAFF
The military will perform an autopsy today on the remains of a Marine from Sussex County who died over the weekend while serving in Iraq, his family said.
The circumstances surrounding the death of 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Jeffery Stevenson remained unclear yesterday.
His stepfather, Joe Solarino, expects to learn more today when representatives of the Marine Corps meet with family members at their home in Stillwater. The Department of Defense has not yet officially announced Stevenson's death, but has confirmed that a Marine died over the weekend at Camp Fallujah in western Iraq "in a non-combat-related incident." A Marine spokesman declined to elaborate.
Stevenson was the 102nd service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Iraq.
People who knew Stevenson yesterday described a young man who served his country with great enthusiasm.
Home on leave last year, the 2006 Kittatinny Regional High School graduate returned to the school and encouraged students there to consider military service.
"He earnestly believed that it was the responsibility of all young people to serve in the armed forces," said Robert Walker, who was the school district superintendent when Stevenson was a student.
Walker called Stevenson a "solid patriot" who fervently supported the Iraq war while respecting people who did not.
"He always gave his point of view intelligently without becoming offensive," Walker said.
Stevenson enlisted within six months of graduating from high school, following his older brother, Robert Stevenson, into military service. The older brother is stationed in Wyoming and has six months remaining in his four-year commitment to the Air Force, family members said.
By seventh grade, Jeffery Stevenson had begun talking about joining the military.
"It's something he had always wanted to do," said his stepfather. Although Stevenson had not told his family how long he planned to stay in the Marines, his private online profile on MySpace.com said he was "in for life," his stepfather said.
A quote on the public portion of Stevenson's profile summed up his philosophy: "i refuse to tip-toe through life, only to arrive safely at death." In the accompanying photograph, Stevenson is wearing camouflage fatigues and looking through the sights of an M-16 rifle.
Craig Hutcheson, the current superintendent at Kittatinny, said the flag outside the school would fly at half-staff for at least at week. He said the school board planned to adopt a resolution in Stevenson's honor Thursday night.
"We were very proud of him," Hutcheson said.
Stevenson's body is expected to arrive today at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where an autopsy will be performed, said Solarino. He said funeral arrangements at the Smith-McCracken Funeral Home in Newton were pending.
Solarino, who is married to Stevenson's mother, Karen Solarino, said Stevenson had a passion for life. "He loved riding his motorcycle and his quads," four-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicles. "And he loved being with friends. He loved family get-togethers."
New Jersey Marine dies in Iraq
by Joe Moszczynski/The Star-Ledger
Monday July 14, 2008, 11:42 AM
A 20-year-old Stillwater man who visited his high school alma mater last year to encourage young people to join the military died while serving with the U.S. Marines in Iraq.
The death of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jeffery Stevenson was confirmed today by the Smith-McCracken Funeral Home in Newton, where services will be held after the funeral home receives dditional information from the Marines. He is the 102nd person killed in Iraq with ties to New Jersey.
Stevenson, a 2006 graduate of Kittatinny Regional High School who enlisted in the armed forced immediately following graduation, was described as a "solid patriot" by former school superintendent Robert Walker.
"He earnestly believed that it was the responsibility of all young people to serve in the armed forced," Walker said of Stevenson, whose older brother, Robert, serves in the U.S. Air Force.
"He voiced strong support for the war and was very well-read," said Walker, who served as superintendent while Stevenson was a student at the Hampton school. "He always gave his point of view intelligently without becoming offensive."
Age: 48 Hometown: South Orange Circumstances: Killed in an explosion in the Sadr City section of Baghdad
Age: 48
Hometown: South Orange
Circumstances: Killed in an explosion in the Sadr City section of Baghdad
Date: 2008/06/30
KELLEY Major Dwayne M. Kelley, Reservist in Iraq, 48
OBITUARY
Major Dwayne M. Kelley, 48, of South Orange was suddenly promoted to Glory on Tuesday, June 24, 2008. A U.S. Army Reserve civil affairs soldier, he was killed in action during his tour of military duty from an explosion in Sadr City, Iraq.
The family will receive relatives and friends for memorial services and a viewing from 5 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, from New Hope Baptist Church, 144 Norman St. (corner of Prospect St.), East Orange, where ritualistic services of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Golconda Temple 24, and Bethel Lodge 10 F&AM PHA will commence at 7 p.m.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 3, from the Tabernacle Baptist Church, 150 E. Second St., Burlington, where the family will again receive relatives and friends from 9 a.m. until time of services. Interment with full military honors will be in the Odd Fellow Cemetery, Burlington. Arrangements are entrusted to Woody "Home for Services," Orange, and William R. Woody Funeral Home, Burlington.
Born on May 25, 1960, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Major Kelley graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Willingboro.
He was an exemplary officer, soldier and humanitarian who served his country proudly and unselfishly until his demise.
Major Kelley held a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University, where he was an active fraternal brother of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. He had worked as a state trooper with the New Jersey State Police since 1988, and was a detective sergeant first class. He received numerous awards and accolades for his dedicated service.
He was the beloved husband of Manita Seabrooks-Kelley; cherished father of Mushirah Kelley of South Orange and stepfather of Rana Hall; loving son of Vera Kelley of Willingboro and the late Sylvester Kelley; adored brother of Michael Kelley and his wife, Ruth, of Kissimmee, Fla., and Sabrina Dalton and her husband, David Sr., of Montclair, and caring sonin-law of Jeanette Seabrooks of Newark. He is also survived by aunt, Geraldine Neal; family friend, Richard Hazard, of Newark; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, social and civic brothers, and friends.
Date: 2008/07/04
SENDOFF FOR A SERVICEMAN
Trooper-soldier is mourned By MARK DiIONNO STAR-LEDGER STAFF
In the back of Tabernacle Baptist Church, where the funeral service of Army Maj. Dwayne Kelley was held, there was a display of the many service uniforms he wore, and the titles he held.
In Army-green camouflage fatigues, he was "major." In his State Police blues, he was "detective sergeant." In the black tunic of the Masons, he was "grand commander." In the yellow silk dashiki of the Shriners, he was "past potentate."
In his red jersey of Kappa Alpha Psi, he was just Dwayne.
This was Dwayne Kelley's life.
Service, in all different colors.
The war on terror. The thin blue line. The charity and mentoring work of his civic organizations.
He was a serviceman, from a servicetown.
Kelley, 48, grew up in Willingboro, one of the original Levittowns, the New Jersey version of those middle-class planned communities from the 1950s.
The town is close to Fort Dix, McGuire Air Force Base and the old Philadelphia Navy base, so it was a natural that military families would settle there for affordable housing.
"We were all military people," said Flossie Miles, who knew Kelley as a boy, and whose late husband was a career Army man. "Staff Sgt. Herman K. Miles," she said, when asked his name. "Our children went in the military, too."
Deborah Harris met her husband while both were stationed at Fort Dix, and now has two sons in the Navy. "We have that kind of history," she said.
Kelley was killed in Sadr City on June 24, while serving with the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion. It was his third tour in Iraq, and one for which he volunteered. He became the second Willingboro soldier to die in Iraq, following Staff Sgt. Terry W. Hemingway, who was killed on April 10, 2003.
It was in Willingboro, surrounded by such people, that Kelley decided at a young age to dedicate his life to service, his friends said yesterday.
Jiles Ship, president of the North Jersey chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, met Kelley at Rutgers and both joined Kappa Alpha Psi. "It wasn't a beer drinking fraternity," Ship said at the funeral. "It was for serious young men who were interested in community service."
State Police Sgt. Asa Anderson, who played football in Willingboro with Kelley, said Kelley joined the State Police as "a calling to duty" and he was resolute "to serve his God and others."
The communities of Dwayne Kelley came together yesterday in Burlington City, for a viewing, funeral service and full military burial that together lasted more than five hours.
A contingent of at least 600 uniformed law enforcement officers from as far away as Indiana and led by about 400 members of the New Jersey State Police in their pressed powder blue shirts filed past Kelley's open casket, before it was closed in front of his family. There were another 100 soldiers in dress greens. There were FBI agents in black and navy blue pin-striped suits, who worked with Kelley in the regional joint terrorism task force, as did the New York State Police, who came in their full-dress grays.
Gov. Jon Corzine, representing the state side, spoke, saying Kelley's life "inspires us to a higher calling, to serve something greater than ourselves, to serve our fellow man."
Brig. Gen. Guy Sands-Pingot represented the military side, delivering this memorable line about God and country that was met by an ovation from the 1,200 people in the church. "If you are an American, you know of two people who have died for you. Jesus Christ, who died for your soul, and the American G.I., who died for your freedom."
State Police Superintendent Col. Joseph R. Fuentes, who represented the police side, announced Kelley would receive the organization's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal.
Tabernacle pastor Richard W. Jones, in his black robes, represented the religious side, and spoke of Kelley as the "good and faithful servant" from the book of Matthew.
And at the center of all those uniformed communities was the smallest, yet most important group. The women in white. Kelley's wife, Manita, his daughter, Mushira, his step-daughter, Rana Hall, and mother, Vera Kelley, who still lives in Willingboro, all dressed in the white of angels.
Kelley's flag-draped casket was brought down by eight pallbearers: four soldiers in green, and four state troopers in blue. The women in white were close behind. And after the men loaded the casket into the hearse, they parted, and stood at attention, as the widow and her daughter came forward to touch the flag and coffin below, and say a final goodbye.
Wake is tomorrow for S. Orange soldier
A viewing will be held tomorrow for Maj. Dwayne M. Kelley, a State Police detective and South Orange resident who was killed last week in Iraq, a spokesman for his family said yesterday.
The viewing will be held at New Hope Baptist Church on Norman Street in East Orange from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with Masonic Ritualistic Services between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., said Henry Kearney, an Army spokesman at Fort Monmouth.
A second viewing will be held at Tabernacle Baptist Church on East Second Street in Burlington on Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by the funeral service at Tabernacle Baptist Church.
Kelley, 48, who was on his third tour of duty overseas with the U.S. Army Reserve, will be buried with full military honors at Odd Fellows Cemetery, Route 130 South, in Beverly.
He was among 10 people, including four Americans, killed by an explosion in Sadr City, Iraq, on Tuesday.
Kelly is survived by his wife, Manita Kelley, and his daughter, Mushirah Kelley, both of South Orange; his mother, Vera Kelley of Willingboro; his sister Sabrina and brother-in-law David Dalton of Montclair; and his brother, Michael Kelley and sister-in-law Ruth Kelley of Kissimmee, Fla.
New Jersey trooper killed in Iraq blast
by The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk Wednesday June 25, 2008, 1:53 PM
Dwayne Kelley a New Jersey State Police sergeant serving his third tour of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Army Reserve was killed in an explosion in the Sadr City section of Baghdad, a State Police spokesman said today.
Dwayne Kelley, 48, of South Orange, died Tuesday, said Sgt. Stephen Jones, a state police spokesman.
Kelley, who spoke fluent Arabic, was a major in a civil affairs unit of the Army Reserve.
He joined the State Police in 1988 and held the rank of detective sergeant first class, Jones said. He was assigned to the police counter-terrorism bureau. He had interrogated detainees at Guantanamo Bay as a member of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, Jones said.
"Dwayne was a talented detective who spoke Arabic, won the Essex County 200 Club Award for Valor and was well-known for his productive years in both our Counter-Terrorism Unit and Auto Unit," State Police Superintendent Col. Joseph R. Fuentes said in a statement released by the State Police. "He touched many lives throughout the law enforcement and military communities, and he will be deeply missed by us all."
Kelley was a divorced father of two daughters.
Jones said the explosion that killed Kelley occurred early Tuesday. The Associated Press reported that four Americans were among 10 people killed when a bomb exploded inside Sadr City's district council building. The four Americans included two soldiers who were not identified in the report.
The AP report says the Americans were working to restore local government in Sadr City, a former Shiite militia stronghold. Officials told the AP that the bomb exploded just as the Americans arrived in the deputy council chief's office for a meeting.
Hometown: Cherry Hill Age: 30 Circumstances: Died from wounds suffered in Salman Pak, Iraq, when his patrol encountered small-arms fire during combat operations.
Age: 30
Circumstances: Died from wounds suffered in Salman Pak, Iraq, when his patrol encountered small-arms fire during combat operations.
Two more New Jerseyans killed in Iraq war
Lawman's loss 'hurts,' says State Police colleague Thursday, June 26, 2008 BY RICK HEPP AND TOM FEENEY Star-Ledger Staff A New Jersey State Police detective on his third tour of duty overseas with the U.S. Army Reserve was killed this week when a bomb exploded inside a local government building in Baghdad.
Dwayne M. Kelley, 48, of South Orange, a major in a civil affairs unit of the Army Reserve, was one of 10 people, including four Americans, killed in the blast early Tuesday. The State Police announced his death yesterday.
"He felt it was his duty to protect his country," said his sister, Sabrina Dalton of Montclair. "He said to take it over there instead of over here. I always asked him if he was afraid or not. He never answered. He always said, 'That's my duty.' He was brave to a fault."
Kelley, a member of the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion in Green Bay, Wis., was one of two service members from New Jersey killed in Iraq this week.
The Defense Department yesterday said Army Capt. Gregory T. Dalessio, 30, of Cherry Hill died Monday of wounds suffered during combat operations in Salman Pak, Iraq.
Dalessio was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, based in Baumholder, Germany.
Dalessio's stepfather, Tomas Pagano of Cherry Hill, last night said he last spoke with his stepson by telephone on Father's Day.
"I didn't know it was going to be my last conversation with him," Pagano said during a telephone interview. "You never suspect that."
The oldest of eight children, Dalessio was a bachelor, his stepfather said. After getting a bachelor's degree in special education from Seton Hall University in South Orange, he taught for a year before doing some college recruiting for the university, Pagano said.
Then, going through the ROTC program at Seton Hall, Dalessio got a master's degree in international relations and was commissioned in May 2004, Pagano said.
Dalessio began his second deployment in Iraq in April, a deployment that was scheduled to last 15 months, Pagano said. Shortly before he was deployed to Iraq, Pagano and his wife visited him in Germany. Dalessio spoke with his mother on Friday, and they reminisced about that last visit.
"He accomplished so much in 30 years," Pagano said. "If somebody says, 'Just think what he could have done if he lived another 30 years,' I say, 'No, because his life was fulfilled.'"
He and Kelley are the 100th and 101st service members with ties to New Jersey to die in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Kelley, a 20-year veteran of the State Police, was a detective sergeant who worked in counter-terrorism, serving first on an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and later in the State Police Counter-Terrorism Bureau, said Sgt. Stephen Jones, a department spokesman.
He was fluent in Arabic and, while serving on the FBI task force, had been sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to interrogate detainees.
"He touched many lives throughout the law enforcement and military communities, and he will be deeply missed by us all," State Police Superintendent Col. Joseph R. Fuentes said.
Word of Kelley's death spread over teletypes in State Police barracks across New Jersey yesterday morning.
By early afternoon, a half-dozen troopers had gathered on the lawn in front of the trooper's apartment building in South Orange where he lived with his wife, Manita. His sister said he had two adult daughters.
"He was a quality individual," said Sgt. Guy Packwood, one of the troopers outside the apartment building. "It's a real loss, a major loss. It hurts."
Packwood said he and Kelley came on the job together in the late 1980s and were close. Still, he said, Kelley had the ability to surprise him.
"For the longest time, I never knew he spoke Arabic," Packwood said. "When he told me, I was like, 'Whoa.' I was surprised, but then it made sense. A smart guy."
Kelley served two tours in Afghanistan, the first coming just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, said State Police Lt. Kevin Tormey, the assistant bureau chief of counter-terrorism.
Kelley's career with the State Police included a six-year stint in the auto unit. When he was reassigned to counter-terrorism, he plunged into the subject, studying Arabic, the Koran and Muslim culture, Tormey said.
Kelley's job involved investigating international terrorism cases in Union, Mercer and Burlington counties. He investigated tips and leads developed from sources in New Jersey and overseas.
"Some of the cases start out as something very small. You have to flesh them out and build on it," Tormey said. "The more you connect, the bigger it becomes. You've got to do a lot of the paperwork, but you're definitely out in the field a lot talking to people. He was involved in surveillance and he was actually going to get involved in undercover stuff. It's what you make of them and he was definitely able to make some pretty good cases of them."
State Police Detective Sgt. Tanya Schultz, a member of the counter-terrorism task force that was sent to Guantanamo, said Kelley was effective as an interrogator because he made a point of speaking initially in Arabic and making sure he respected Islamic culture and customs.
"He would sit down and speak to them in their native language at first, and that kind of ingratiated him to them," she said. "Most of the time, you didn't get information with just one interview. It took rapport-building. He was able to speak to them very easily ... because he was a good listener. You could tell he truly cared about what you were saying."
The Defense Department had not yet announced Kelley's death last night. The State Police said he was killed by a bomb in Sadr City, a large, impoverished Baghdad enclave that once was a stronghold of the Shi'a militia.
The Associated Press reported two of the Americans killed in that blast were soldiers. The others were civilian employees of the U.S. government, one from the Defense Department, the other from the State Department.
The four were part of a provincial reconstruction team, a group dispatched to teach, coach and mentor Iraqis and help them with reconstruction projects.
The team went to the Sadr City district council building to attend a weekly meeting in the deputy council chief's office. The bomb went off just as the Americans entered the room and began talking to the deputy council chief, the council's spokesman, Ahmed Hassan, told the AP.
U.S. troops captured a suspect who was trying to flee the scene, the military said, claiming he tested positive for explosives residue.
The military blamed the attack on "special groups criminals," a term it uses for Shi'a militiamen refusing to follow a cease-fire order from anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
A witness said the Americans rounded up all the Iraqi guards at the building immediately after the explosion.
An initial investigation indicated the explosion was an inside job and that the bomb likely was planted on Monday to avoid the tightened security that accompanies the weekly Tuesday meetings, an Interior Ministry official said.
Kelley was a 1978 graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in Willingboro, Burlington County, where he was a standout forward on the basketball team. His sister said he played basketball at Rider University before transferring to Rutgers-Camden. He earned a degree from Rutgers in 1985.
Staff writer Wayne Woolley contributed to this report.
© 2008 The Star Ledger © 2008 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
Age: 25 Hometown: Mount Olive Circumstances: Died from a non-combat related injury in Iraq.
Hometown: Mount Olive
Circumstances: Died from a non-combat related injury in Iraq.
Date: 2008/04/26
Texas was in Jersey GI's postwar plan
Mt. Olive native planned to join wife and son and be a mechanic By LESLIE KWOH STAR-LEDGER STAFF
A week before he died, Army Spc. Ronald Ray Harrison called his childhood friend from Iraq and said he couldn't wait to come back.
When he finished his 15-month stint next year, the 25-year-old Mount Olive native said, he was heading to Texas to be with his wife of less than two years, Kegan, and her son. He wanted to work as an auto mechanic, like he was doing for the Army.
Spc. Harrison died Monday of a non-combat injury that is being investigated. He was serving as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle mechanic at Forward Operating Base Falcon near Baghdad.
Yesterday, friends and family members shared stories of a man they remember as responsible, humorous and kind.
"He was always trying to do good by his kid, and his parents, and his friend," said friend Ben Ala, 25, of Lincoln Park, who spoke with Spc. Harrison over the phone every few weeks.
Parents Richard and Beverly Harrison, of Mount Olive, recalled how their son loved to cook for the family. He could create sumptuous dishes of fish, chicken and london broil.
"He would have made a great chef," said family spokesman Peter Rowland, a Picatinny Arsenal public affairs officer.
But the Army was where Spc. Harrison eventually decided to go. When he put on his Army uniform, his face beamed with pride, his family said.
Raised in the upper Greenwood Lake section of West Milford, Spc. Harrison moved to Lincoln Park in eighth grade. Later, at Boonton High School, he participated in basketball, football, track and the peer mediation club.
Following high school, he worked for several years in Flanders, at an Exxon gas station and at Cavanaugh's Exterminators, his parents said.
In April 2006, he enlisted in the Army, where he met his wife. They married later that year, and he was deployed last November.
Officials had earlier identified Harrison as an Army private and had erroneously reported his unit.
Spc. Harrison was serving with the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, of the 3rd Infantry Division, based out of Fort Stewart, Ga., according to a new statement released by officials yesterday.
He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in a private ceremony on May 1.
Date: 2008/04/25
Soldier's non-combat death probed
25-year-old died Monday in Baghdad; Army hasn't told his family why By LESLIE KWOH STAR-LEDGER STAFF
A soldier from Morris County on his first deployment to Iraq has died of a non-combat injury that is being investigated, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Army Pvt. Ronald Ray Harrison, 25, died Monday while serving at Forward Operating Base Falcon near Baghdad.
As of yesterday, his parents in Mount Olive had not been notified of the cause of death, said Peter Rowland, a Picatinny Arsenal public affairs officer.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Ronald, a beloved husband, son and brother," the family said in a statement released yesterday.
"He was a wonderful young man and a good soldier who served his country with pride. We will miss him dearly. He will be remembered fondly in our minds and our hearts forever."
Pvt. Harrison was sent to Iraq in November on a 15-month deployment and was serving as a Bradley fighting vehicle mechanic with the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, based out of Fort Stewart, Ga., said Kevin Larson, a Fort Stewart spokesperson.
Raised in West Milford, he had attended Boonton High School and recently married Kagen, who lives with her son Max in Montgomery, Texas, Rowland said. He enlisted in April 2006 after joining the New Jersey Army National Guard in December 2003.
As a student at Boonton High, Pvt. Harrison was "really happy-go-lucky, always laughing," recalls Alfred Bellini, his freshman English teacher.
"He always liked joking, the kind of kid in your classroom who'd keep you on your toes, but in a fun way," he said.
In the 2001 Boonton High yearbook, under his senior photo, Harrison stated his ambition: "To be the smartest man alive and to have a trillion dollars." Under activities, he listed basketball, football, track and the peer mediation club.
The freshman was taller and huskier than most of his classmates, Bellini said, and on several occasions used his size to break up fights at the school.
"I saw him stepping in to keep things from happening," Bellini said. "He was kind of a peacemaker."
Harrison is survived by his wife Kagen and her son; parents Richard and Beverly Harrison, of the Budd Lake section of Mount Olive; sister and brother-in-law Heather and David Stiles, of Washington, Warren County.
Following his parents' request, he will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in a private ceremony on May 1, Rowland said.
Date: 2008/04/24 Thursday Page: 014 Section: NEWS Edition: FINAL Size: 123 words
Morris Plains soldier dies near Baghdad
A 25-year-old soldier from Morris County has died from a non-combat-related injury in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced last night.
Pvt. Ronald R. Harrison of Morris Plains died Tuesday at Forward Operating Base Falcon near Baghdad, according to a department press statement.
Harrison was assigned to the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division of Fort Stewart, Ga.
He is at least the 98th service member with ties to New Jersey killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Age: 38 Hometown: Holmdel Circumstances: Died after his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in the Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan.
Age: 38
Hometown: Holmdel
Circumstances: Died after his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in the Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan.
The Star-Ledger Archive COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2008 Date: 2008/03/27 Thursday
NEIL S/Sgt. William R. Neil Jr., with Special Forces, 38
Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr., 38, was killed in action on Saturday, March 22, 2008, near Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, while serving with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Visitation will be at the Holmdel Funeral Home, 26 South Holmdel Road, Holmdel, on Friday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be offered on Saturday at 9 a.m. at St. Catharine's Church, Holmdel. Interment will follow at Holmdel Cemetery, Holmdel.
For directions or online condolences to the family, please visit www.holmdelfuneralhome.com.
Staff Sgt. Neil served the 4th Ranger Training Battalion in Fort Benning, Ga., and later went to the Army Rangers School. He successfully completed training and passed the Special Forces Qualification to become a Green Beret in 2006.
He was a dedicated soldier who served in both the Army and Navy. Born in Jersey City, he attended Hudson Catholic High School and graduated in 1987. He then enlisted in the Navy and served for four years. When he returned home, he worked for five years on Wall Street. He was a man who was a true patriot. Staff Sgt. Neil gave up his career on Wall Street for a life in the U.S. Army, enlisting in 1998.
Staff Sgt. Neil's awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, six Army Achievement Medals, Army Good Conduct Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Weapons Qualification Badge, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, and the Parachutist Badge. He is expected to receive the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge posthumously.
Staff Sgt. Neil will be sorely missed by his family, friends and his comrades still fighting for the cause he so dearly believed in. He died doing what he loved he loved his family as well as serving his country. He was a kind and generous person, and he will never be forgotten.
Staff Sgt. Neil is survived by his parents, William and Patricia of Holmdel; his sister and brother-in-law, Veronica and Michael Cozzi; his sister, Patti Neil and her partner, Susan Martignoni; his sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Philip Esposito Jr.; his nephews, Daniel Robert Neil and Ryan William Esposito, and his nieces, Kailey Renee Esposito and Megan Elizabeth Neil, and his girlfriend, Lorraine Cappuccino.
As an alternative to flowers, donations may be made in the memory of Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr. to The Walter Reed Hospital, attn: the Soldier and Family Assistance Center (SFAC) Ms. McKay Bldg. 2, Room 3G04, 6900 Georgia Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20307-5001, checks payable to WRAMC SFAC.
Date: 2008/03/30 Sunday
HE ALWAYS PUT OTHERS FIRST
Devoted Green Beret laid to rest in Holmdel By ALLISON STEELE STAR-LEDGER STAFF
William Neil sensed early on that he was meant for a life of military service. The Holmdel native joined the Navy as soon as he could after graduating from high school in 1987.
When he returned home four years later, Neil went to work on Wall Street, building a career he gave up five years later so he could return to the military life that resonated most deeply in him.
Yesterday morning, Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr., 38, who was killed last week when an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle in Afghanistan, was laid to rest with full military honors in Holmdel.
More than 200 friends, family members and fellow military officers came to St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Church to mourn Neil, a decorated Green Beret who had risen through the ranks to become a paratrooper with the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Local police officers and fellow Green Berets lined the sides of the church, standing somberly behind the pews.
"Staff Sergeant Neil was totally devoted to his country," said Col. William Hager, a member of Neil's battalion who spoke during the service. "Words alone will fail to describe the joy, the pride, the love he brought to his family, his friends, and his soldiers in his short life."
Friends and family members filled the pews of the church, red-eyed and at times weeping. Neil's parents, William R. and Patricia Neil, sat near their son's white-draped casket in the front of the church, flanked by Neil's three sisters, Veronica Cozzi, Patti Neil and Barbara Esposito, and Neil's girlfriend, Lorraine Cappuccino.
Hager described Neil as a loyal, compassionate and fearless leader. Neil taught the soldiers under his command that they could depend on him for anything, Hager said. Neil supported them during hard times and shared in their triumphs, he said.
"His enormous generosity to put others' lives in front of his own drove him to great risks in his missions," Hager said. Addressing Neil's family, he added, "It was our honor and our privilege to have served with your son and brother."
Neil's family members have said in a statement that Neil died doing what he loved.
"Billy was a kind and generous person who loved his family as well as serving his country. We are extremely proud of his courage and his commitment to our country's endeavor," the statement said. "He will be sorely missed by family, friends and his comrades still fighting for the cause Billy so dearly believed in."
A native of Holmdel in Monmouth County, Neil graduated from Hudson Catholic High School in Jersey City.
After he left Wall Street and re-enlisted in the Army in 1998, he worked as a supply specialist. Neil was assigned to the 4th Ranger Training Battalion in Fort Benning, Ga., and later attended Army Ranger School. He finished his training and passed the Special Forces Qualification to become a Green Beret in 2006.
Neil was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Special Forces Group, which is based in Fort Bragg, N.C. He had been in Afghanistan since October, on what was his second tour of duty there. He died last Saturday in the Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan.
Neil was the recipient of many awards during his military career, including the Army Commendation Medal, six Army Achievement Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal and numerous other decorations. It is expected he will receive the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal and Combat Infantryman's Badge posthumously.
Neil is at least the 10th service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. Another 88 service members with ties to the state have died in Iraq.
In lieu of flowers, Neil's family has requested donations be made in his name to Walter Reed Hospital, the Soldier and Family Assistance Center (SFAC), Mrs. McKay, Building 2, Room 3G04, 6900 Georgia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C., 20307-5001. Checks may be made payable to WRAMC-SFAC.
Multimedia: Watch the audio slideshow at nj.com and tvjersey.com http://tvjersey.com/videos/602/
Holmdel soldier is killed in Afghanistan
Posted March 25, 2008 06:01AM
A Holmdel man who gave up a career on Wall Street for life in the Army died after his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, military officials said Monday.
Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr., 38, was in Sperwan Ghar in the Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan when his vehicle hit the IED Saturday. He was on his second tour in Afghanistan, assigned to the Army 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group as a paratrooper.
In a statement released Monday night, family members called Neil "a true patriot who will never be forgotten."
Neil, known as Billy to his family and friends, died doing what he loved, his family said.
"Billy was a kind and generous person who loved both his family as well as serving his country. We are extremely proud of his courage and his commitment to our country's endeavor and extend our sympathy to other fallen heroes' families," his family's statement said. "He will be sorely missed by family, friends and his comrades still fighting for the cause Billy so dearly believed in."
Neil is at least the 10th service member with New Jersey ties to die in Afghanistan since the war began in the fall of 2001. An additional 88 service members with ties to the state have died in Iraq.
He is survived by his parents, William and Patricia, in Holmdel, and his girlfriend, Lorraine Cappuccino. He also is survived by three sisters, Veronica Cozzi, Patti Neil and Barbara Esposito, and their families, including two nieces and two nephews.
Earlier Monday, Neil's parents declined to speak about their son when they arrived at the family's townhouse in the Hidden Woods development. Before they went inside, Neil's father and mother picked up two baskets of recently delivered flowers left in front of the door. An American flag was flying over the neatly kept front porch.
The statement the family released described Neil as a dedicated soldier who did stints in both the Navy and the Army. In his down time, he enjoyed restoring classic cars, traveling and photography. He also loved reading nonfiction and historical publications and dining on Italian and Mexican food.
Neil was born in Jersey City and graduated from Hudson Catholic High School in 1987, his family said. He enlisted in the Navy after graduation and served for four years.
When he returned home, he worked for five years on Wall Street. But he eventually went back into the military, enlisting in the Army in 1998 as a supply specialist.
Neil served with the 4th Ranger Training Battalion in Fort Benning, Ga., and later went to Army Ranger School. He successfully passed the Special Forces Qualification Course to become a Green Beret in 2006.
He was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Fort Bragg, N.C., when he died.
Neil received several medals and awards during his military career, including the Army Commendation Medal and six Army Achievement Medals. He is expected to receive the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman's Badge posthumously.
Funeral arrangements will be made through Holmdel Funeral Home, the family said.
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