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Military Update: A few more lives to remember on Memorial Day
Even as the war in Afghanistan is featured less often on evening newscasts or front pages of our newspapers, Americans still involved in the fight continue to die there, deepening the pool of Memorial Day remembrances with new heroes and fresh heartbreak.
To glimpse what’s still being sacrificed on Afghan soil, Courtney Knox, the 24-year-old widow of Army Sgt. JaBraun Knox, of Auburn, Ind., agreed to tell us about her husband and how he died May 18 at a forward operating base near Asadabad, Afghanistan.
We could have contacted more than a dozen other families who also lost loved ones in Afghanistan just this month, part of the steady, little noticed stream of casualties this war produces.
The first thing to understand about JaBraun, Courtney said after finalizing his funeral arrangements, is that he “loved making people smile.” Also no one was more important to him than Braylon, his 6-month-old son.
Courtney and JaBraun began dating her senior year at DeKalb High School in Auburn. A year older than JaBraun, Courtney was a basketball star who went on to score more than 1,000 points for Huntington University.
JaBraun, a three-sport athlete himself, had hoped to play college football. As that dream passed, he took community college course but didn’t enjoy them.
“He had absolutely no plans of ever joining the Army,” Courtney said.
But by late 2008, the economy had tanked and JaBraun got laid off from his factory job. Suddenly the military alone seemed to offer options.
“He had no idea what he wanted to do and just felt he was stuck,” Courtney said.
So JaBraun visited a joint-service recruiting office at the mall to learn about becoming a Marine. He would quip he ended up a soldier because every other recruiter except Army that day had gone to lunch.
He entered boot camp in January 2009 and by summer was deployed to Iraq, two days after his 21st birthday. Courtney was surprised but supported his decision. Iraq, however, was dangerous.
“He never told me too much because I’m a worrier,” Courtney said. “He did say there were always a lot of close calls, closer ones than he had imagined. He had a hard time talking about it too when he was home. He would always get kind of choked up and never gave me specific details.”
During leave half way through his year in Iraq, JaBraun proposed to Courtney. They agreed on a courthouse wedding before he returned to Iraq.
JaBraun explained to Courtney’s parents, Matt and Kim Beerbower, how their daughter was the “love of my life” and that if something happened to him, marrying now would ensure that she was taken care of financially, through his military life insurance and death gratuity.
He promised later to fulfill their expectation of a traditional church wedding and reception for their daughter. And he kept that promise. The couple returned to Indiana to make their vows “before God,” Courtney said, in November 2010.
They both wanted children. Braylon was born in October 2011, two weeks before JaBraun left for Afghanistan. He was a cannon crewman with 1st Battalion (Air Assault), 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
JaBraun’s crew fired howitzers on enemy positions to protect forces on patrol and to answer enemy rocket attacks on their mountain base. The attacks occurred daily, he soon learned.
In fact, as Courtney traveled back home to Indiana, and JaBraun arrived at his forward operating base, enemy rockets landed that day inside their perimeter.
“They were new and didn’t know where things were,” Courtney recalled JaBraun telling her about his scramble to find shelter. “He said some guy actually pushed him out of the way [of a rocket] and the guy who did ended up losing his leg. He called me and he was upset about that. He knew then how serious it was over there.”
With warmer weather, the rocket attacks intensified, to six or eight a day, he told her. They were connected through Skype – live teleconferencing – multiple times a day.
Courtney also sent perhaps 20 photos a day of Braylon via email. JaBraun watched their son grow even as the danger around him intensified.
On a surprise visit home in April, JaBraun said Skype failed to capture how his son had gotten so much bigger and how alert he was.
He spent every possible hour there at home with him, Courtney said, while she continued to substitute teach for school staff on maternity leave.
After getting ready for bed on JaBraun’s last night home, Courtney found him on the floor beside Braylon’s crib, holding the sleeping infant’s hand.
“He did that for about 20 minutes. It was really emotional. I just let him be, let him have his time with him before he left.”
JaBraun insisted on leaving his wedding ring home this time, telling Courtney he didn’t want it damaged or lost. But in saying goodbye he reminded Courtney that his year tour had just been cut to nine months. So he was more than half way through his final deployment.
JaBraun agreed he would leave the Army when his enlistment was up next May. He wanted a career in law enforcement or, like his father, in firefighting, Courtney said. He never complained about joining the Army.
“He did say it definitely changed him for the better,” Courtney recalled. “I know what he meant by it but it’s hard to explain. He had a greater appreciation of family and friends and freedom and life, and an understanding how important his job was.”
Back in Afghanistan, the couple resumed multiple Skype sessions every day. By May 16, JaBraun had an important message to deliver.
“He just started telling me how much he loved me and how proud he was and what a good mom I was. He was going on and on and on. I said ‘What is this about?’
“‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I just don’t tell you enough how much you mean to me, how much I love you. I need to start doing that more.”
Two days later, Courtney’s dad, a school guidance counselor, found her in her classroom. He said they had to go home.
“I asked why. He said he just had to drive me home. I kind of stared at him. He said, ‘Braylon is fine. But we need to go.’ I instantly knew something had happened to JaBraun.”
A soldier and chaplain waited at her parent’s home. They said JaBraun had been killed. His base had been receiving incoming fire when a round hit an ammunition pile in his gun pit.
“They said at the time he was unidentifiable,” Courtney said, although DNA testing would be used to identify him.
JaBraun had died with his friend Sgt. Michael J. Knapp, 28, of Overland Park, Kan. Mike had brought his own 6-month-old child to the hospital in Washington after Braylon was born.
JaBraun’s funeral, to be held soon after Memorial Day, is expected to be well attended and exceed the funeral home’s capacity of 300 mourners, Courtney said. So it’s been moved to the World War II Museum in Auburn where she and JaBraun had hosted their wedding reception not so long ago.
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Purrfect Pals: More kittens and big cats
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Visit the county's animal shelter this week and you'll see several young felines ready to make your acquaintance.
Kitten season is here, and there are several young cats waiting for homes alongside more mature feline counterparts.
Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake .
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Male Siamese mix
This male Siamese mix is 2 years old.
He has unique brown, black and white coloring, and has been neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 14, ID No. 32702.
Domestic long hair mix kitten
This domestic long hair mix kitten is 13 weeks hold.
He has blue eyes and a gray coat, weighs 2 pounds and has been neutered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 15c, ID No. 32568.
Gray and white tabby kitten
This 13-week-old male kitten is a domestic long hair mix.
He has a gray and white coat, blue yes and has not yet been neutered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 18a, ID No. 32560.
Siamese mix kitten
This male Siamese mix kitten is 13 weeks old.
He has lilac point and white coloring, blue eyes, a long coat and has not yet been neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 18b, ID No. 32561.
Gray tabby kitten
This gray male tabby kitten is 13 weeks old.
He is a domestic long hair mix with blue eyes. He has not yet been neutered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 18c, ID No. 32562.
Domestic short hair mix kitten
This female domestic short hair mix is 10 weeks old.
She has gray coloring and green eyes, weighs just over 2 pounds and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 25b, ID No. 32698.
'Boots'
“Boots” is a 3-year-old female domestic short hair mix.
She is a black and white tuxedo cat with gold eyes. She has been altered.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 28, ID No. 32665.
Gray domestic short hair
This male domestic short hair mix is 11 months old.
He weighs 5.4 pounds, has green eyes and has been neutered.
Shelter staff said he's good with other cats and is playful.
See him in cat room kennel No. 40, ID No. 32494.
Gray male tabby
This gray male tabby is 7 months old.
He has a short coat and has been neutered.
He is in cat room kennel No. 58, ID No. 32623.
Gray and white domestic long hair
This female domestic long hair mix is 4 years old.
She weighs about 13 pounds, has gray and white coloring, and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 87, ID No. 32731.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Aug. 17 'Taste of Lakeport' showcases Lake County wine, local restaurants
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The 16th annual food and wine event, “A Taste of Lakeport,” will once again pair premium Lake County wines with gourmet food from local purveyors.
Taking place along five blocks of Main Street in downtown Lakeport on Friday, Aug. 17, the food and wine tasting runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with street dance following until 10 p.m.
Event tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door, and include all activities and a souvenir wine glass. A $15 ticket is available for food tasting only.
An expected 20 wineries will offer tastes from fine wines either produced in Lake County or made from grapes grown in the county. Twenty local restaurateurs and caterers will provide tasty bites matched to the wine being poured.
To keep the fun going, live music will play throughout the tasting by The Rodeo Polecats and The Hip Replacements. A great antique car collection will be on view as well. After 8 p.m., the party turns into a lively street dance under the stars with music by the Jimmy Z band.
Tickets go on sale June 1 at these outlets:
- Soper Reese Community Theatre online at www.soperreesetheatre.com , or at the box office on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 375 S. Main, Lakeport, 707-263-0577;
- The Travel Center, 1265 S. Main, Lakeport, 707-263-3095;
- Lake County Chamber of Commerce, 875 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, 707-263-5092;
- Hillside Honda, 460 S. Main, Lakeport, 707-263-9000;
- Clearlake Chamber of Commerce, 3425 Bowers Road, Clearlake (cash or check only);
- Doni’s Occasion Station, 6140 E. Highway 20, Lucerne (cash or check only).
Proceeds from The Taste of Lakeport benefit the Lakeport Main Street Association and its work toward the continuing revitalization and renovation of downtown Lakeport.
Major sponsors for the Taste of Lakeport include Hillside Honda, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, North Lake Medical Pharmacy, Lakeport Ford, Coldwell Banker Towne & Country Real Estate, The Record Bee, KXBX 98.3FM, Q106 105.9FM, John H. Tomkins Tax Consultants, Gossett Alarm and Golden Gate Meat Co.
The event is also supported by Lakeport Senior Center Meals on Wheels Thrift Store, Clearlake Club, IE Truss, Mendo-Lake Credit Union and Watershed Books.
For more information contact LMSA at 707-243-8843,
Space News: Mojave Desert tests prepare for NASA Mars roving
Team members of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission took a test rover to Dumont Dunes in California's Mojave Desert earlier this month to improve knowledge of the best way to operate a similar rover, Curiosity, currently flying to Mars for an August landing.
The test rover that they put through paces on various sandy slopes has a full-scale version of Curiosity's mobility system, but it is otherwise stripped down so that it weighs about the same on Earth as Curiosity will weigh in the lesser gravity of Mars.
Information collected in these tests on windward and downwind portions of dunes will be used by the rover team in making decisions about driving Curiosity on dunes near a mountain in the center of Gale Crater.
First, however, the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, launched Nov. 26, 2011, must put Curiosity safely onto the ground.
Safe landing on Mars is never assured, and this mission will use innovative methods to land the heaviest vehicle in the smallest target area ever attempted on Mars.
Advances in landing heavier payloads more precisely are steps toward eventual human missions to Mars.
Curiosity is on track for landing the evening of Aug. 5, 2012, PDT (early on Aug. 6, Universal Time and EDT) to begin a two-year prime mission.
Researchers plan to use Curiosity to study layers in Gale Crater's central mound, Mount Sharp.
The mission will investigate whether the area has ever offered an environment favorable for microbial life.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ .
You can follow the mission on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/marscuriosity and on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/marscuriosity .
Guy Webster works for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
