91st to die: Nov. 14, 2003—Army Sgt. Jay A. Blessing, 23, Tacoma, a 1998 Lincoln High School graduate and special operations soldier, who died after driving a Humvee over a homemade land mine in Asadabad, Afghanistan. His family was informed of the death hours after leaving a funeral for another family member. From his obituary: "Jay volunteered to be a soldier, Ranger, and member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis. He was a Patriot and believed in what he was doing for his country and especially protecting the threat of terrorism against his family and loved ones back home. Jay was 'real' and exhibited a strong faith for his heavenly father; however, he was a bit unconventional when it came to organized religion."
25th to die, Feb. 21, 2002—Army Sgt. Thomas Allison, 22, of Roy in Pierce County, who was lost at sea off the Philippines after his Boeing MH-47E Chinook helicopter erupted in a fireball and disappeared, cause unknown. He was flight engineer with E Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers, a commando force seeking to rescue a nurse and an American missionary couple. During basic training, he wrote his parents, Pat and Buddy Allison, about the price of war: "I need to say something: For the next six years, I will be more or less away from home. A lot can happen in that time ... one of those is death ... and if I do die, I died for God and my country." In a letter just before his death in February, he noted, "Some of us will get to heaven first."
24th to die, Feb. 21, 2002—Air Force Staff Sgt. Juan M. Ridout, 36, Oak Harbor, who, with Army Sgt. Thomas Allison, was aboard the MH-47 aircraft that crashed into the sea in the southern Philippines. Ridout was assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan. He had been named the squadron's pararescueman of the year in 1999 for heroism, exchanging gunfire with enemy forces while rescuing an F-16 pilot shot down in Serbia. At Ridout's memorial service, fellow Staff Sgt. John Romspert said Ridout "was always the straight shooter and wisecracker, but he never forgot how to be humble; never once did he brag or boast about his combat mission in Bosnia or the warrior's rack on his uniform."
15th to die, Jan. 9, 2002—Marine Sgt. Nathan P. Hays, 21, of Wilbur in Lincoln County, one of seven Marines killed in a KC-130 crash in Pakistan. His father, James Hays, is a Washington State Patrol trooper. Hays was based at the Marine Corps air station in Miramar, Calif. Flags at his small high school, where he played offense and defense on the football team, were flown at half-staff. "If you ever met a guy who wasn't afraid of anything," said friend Chris Rettkowski, "it was this guy."
12th to die, Jan. 4, 2002—Army Sgt. 1st Class Nathan R. Chapman, 31, Puyallup, the first U.S. soldier killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan. A communications specialist and father of two, Chapman died in an ambush. He was a Special Forces soldier based at Fort Lewis. Chapman and a CIA officer were searching for Al Qaeda members and were fired upon shortly after leaving a meeting with local Afghan leaders. His widow, Renae, said she'd like people to remember Nathan as a quiet professional "who just wanted to change the world." In a statement, President Bush said, "I can assure the parents and loved ones of Nathan Chapman that he lost his life for a cause that is just and important."
Ninth to die, Dec. 5, 2001—Army Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser, 28, whose mother lives in Seattle. Prosser was one of three Special Forces soldiers killed by friendly fire when an errant 2,000-pound bomb missed its target. He was with the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, Ky. "Cody is a hero, and I will love and miss him for the rest of my life," said his widow, Shawna. Prosser was buried in a California ceremony attended by Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Secretary of State Bill Jones, with a 21-gun salute by the 1st Special Forces Group of Fort Lewis. "Let Cody Prosser's service be a reminder that our freedom is not free," said Bustamante.
