Read Their Stories

SGT. LANCE CHASE

U.S. ARMY

DAD WAS ALWAYS SOMEONE QUICK WITH A JOKE. HE ALSO WAS SOMEONE KNOWN TO BE DEPENDABLE. HE WOULD ALWAYS MAKE SURE HIS GUYS WERE TAKEN CARE OF, BUT ALSO HIS FAMILY. PRIOR TO JOINING THE ARMY HE WORKED AS A JAILER FOR OKLAHOMA COUNTY. DURING THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING HE VOLUNTEERED STREET LEVEL TO HELP IN WHATEVER WAY HE COULD. HE LOVED HIS JOB AS AN ABRAMS TANKER, HAVING SERVED IN EVERY POSITION ON THE TANK BEFORE SETTLING IN AS THE GUNNER. AFTER DEATH, HE WAS HONORED GREATLY BY THE COMMUNITY AND THE OKLAHOMA COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPT FROM HIS TIME AS A JAILER AND WITH HIS FATHER BEING A RESERVE DEPUTY. EVEN TO THIS DAY PEOPLE IN MIDWEST CITY STILL TELL ME ABOUT GROWING UP WIHT DAD AND HOW GREATLY HE IS MISSED BY MORE THAN JUST FAMILY.

1LT BRANDON LANDRUM

1ST BCT, 1ST AD, U.S. ARMY

BRANDON WAS A CARING FATHER, HUSBAND, SON, BROTHER AND FRIEND.

HE DEPLOYED TO IRAQ IN 2008/2009 AND AFGHANISTAN IN

2012/2013. HE AND HIS RECON SQUAD WERE KIA MAY 4, 2013.

HE LEAVES BEHIND A SON, GABRIEL LANDRUM AND APES DAUGHTER, BLAKELY LANDRUM. HIS STORY REMAINS IN THEIR HEARTS FOREVER AND HERE WE SHARE THAT WITH YOU!

CPL. WILFRED FLORES

U.S. ARMY

EVEN AS A CHILD, CPL. WILFRED “WILLY” FLORES JR. WANTED TO BE A SOLDIER. BOTH HIS PARENTS WERE RETIRED ARMY SERGEANTS FIRST CLASS. AT EISENHOWER HIGH SCHOOL IN LAWTON (OK), FLORES JOINED THE JUNIOR ROTC PROGRAM. EAGER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD AND TO CONTINUE THE FAMILY TRADITION OF MILITARY SERVICE, FLORES JOINED THE ARMY IN 2004 IMMEDIATELY AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 2ND BATTALION, 14TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 2ND BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM, 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION OUT OF FORT DRUM, NEW YORK.

ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DEPT. OF DEFENSE OFFICIALS, ON MARCH 31, 2007, CPL. FLORES WAS ON PATROL IN BAGHDAD, IRAQ WHEN HIS HUMVEE WAS HIT BY A ROADSIDE IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE (IED).

JUST 20 YEARS OLD, CPL. FLORES DIED FROM HIS WOUNDS. ALSO KILLED IN THE EXPLOSION WAS STAFF SGT. JASON R. ARNETTE.

IN HIS HONOR, THE WILLY FLORES, JR. SCHOLARSHIP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AT CAMERON UNIVERSITY AND THE “CPL. WILFRED FLORES JR. COMPUTER LAB” WAS DEDICATED AT FT. SILL, BOTH IN HIS HOME TOWN OF LAWTON.

SPC. ROBERT HENDRICKSON

U.S. ARMY

OFTENTIMES, WAR HEROES ARE REMEMBERED BY THEIR SACRIFICE, METALS, OR BADGES OF HONOR. IN OUR HOME TWO DECADES AFTER THIS IMMEASURABLE LOSS, WE DON’T REMINISCE ABOUT ARMY SPECIALIST ROBERT T. HENDRICKSON, WE TALK ABOUT UNCLE MONKEY, THE NICKNAME HE EARNED AFTER HIS NIECE MEGAN WAS BORN. HE DECIDED TO CALL HER RANGER, SO WE DECIDED HE WAS UNCLE MONKEY. SOMETIMES, THE SOLDIER MEMORIES CAN FEEL SHARP, COLD AND DISTANT, BUT THE MEMORY OF UNCLE MONKEY FEELS LIKE HOME, AND WHEN HE CASUALLY COMES UP ALL THESE YEARS LATER BY THAT NICKNAME, FOR THAT MOMENT, HE IS HERE WITH US. I’M HIS SISTER KRYSTAL, HIS ONLY SIBLING. WE WERE REMARKABLY CLOSE, AND I DEARLY MISS HIM, BUT MEMORIES OF

UNCLE MONKEY ALWAYS MAKE ME SMILE.

PVT. MICHAEL MEYER

U.S. ARMY

MICHAEL WAS INTERESTED IN THE ARMY EVER SINCE HE WAS IN THE 5TH GRADE. HE WAS TALL AND SKINNY AND TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET INTO THE ARMY, BUT WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE MINIMUM WEIGHT. HE FINALLY MADE IT AND EXCELLED IN BASIC AND AIT. TO THE POINT THAT A DRILL SARGEANT PUT HIS NAME IN TO BECOME A SAPPER, A ROLE GENERALLY RESERVED FOR CORPORALS AND SARGEANTS.

UNFORTUNATELY HE PASSED AWAY 2 WEEKS SHORT OF DEPLOYING TO KANDAHAR AS A COMBAT ENGINEER AND DRIVER. HE WAS AWARDED THE ARMY DISTINQUISHED SERVICE MEDAL IN ADDITION TO THE GOOD CONDUCT AND DEFENSE MEDALS.

SGT. DANIEL ESHBAUGH

OKLAHOMA NATIONAL GUARD

MY DAD KNEW FROM A YOUNG AGE THAT HE WANTED TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY – INSPIRED BY THE LOSS OF HIS GRANDPA IN THE NAVY. FOLLOWING HIS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, HE ENLISTED IN THE AIR FORCE. HE SERVED AS AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC AND COMPLETED 10 YEARS OF SERVICE BEFORE BEING HONORABLY DISCHARGED DUE TO GOVERNMENT CHANGES. HE SPENT A COUPLE OF YEARS SOUL SEARCHING BEFORE REALIZING HIS PASSION WAS WITHIN THE MILITARY. HE ENLISTED IN THE OKLAHOMA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD AS IT GAVE HIM A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE BOTH HIS STATE AND COUNTRY. HE WORKED AS AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC AND THEN BECAME A FLIGHT ENGINEER – ALWAYS IN THE PURSUIT OF SOMETHING MORE. MY DAD WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT ANYTHING AVIATION RELATED BUT HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR HIS BELOVED CH-47. IN MY EYES MY DAD WAS THE GOOD IN THE WORLD. HE WAS WILLING TO GIVE EVERYTHING TO SOMEONE IN NEED. YOU ALWAYS KNEW WHERE HE WAS BECAUSE THE ROOM WAS FILLED WITH LAUGHTER. MY DAD HAD A LOVE FOR LEARNING AND WAS ALWAYS STRIVING TO BE BETTER. HE IS REMEMBERED AS THE MAN WHO SUPPORTED OU AND NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL, LOVED BARBECUE GRILLING, BEING THE LIFE OF THE PARTY, BUT MOST OF ALL WAS

DEVOTED TO HIS FAMILY AND COUNTRY.

-JORDAN

SP5 ROGER FAREWELL
US ARMY

MY ROGER WAS SUCH A KIND SOUL. HE WAS AN ORPHAN AND IN AND OUT OF FOSTER HOMES. WHEN WE MET HE GAINED A BIG FAMILY. HIS SMILE COULD LIGHT UP A ROOM. WE WERE ONLY TOGETHER FOR 2 YEARS AND I CAN ONLY HOPE WE SHOWED HIM THAT HE WAS VERY LOVED. I MET HIM IN HAWAII FOR R&R 6 WEEKS BEFORE HE WAS KIA. HE NEVER KNEW I WAS PREGNANT NEITHER DID I UNTIL THE ARMY SHOWED UP AT MY DOOR. I LOST THE BABY THE DAY THEY TOLD ME. I HAVE NOTHING LEFT EXCEPT MY WONDERFUL MEMORIES. I LOVED HIM THEN AND
LOVE HIM STILL.

SFC JOSEPH FERLICKA
US ARMY

A PROUD MILITARY POLICE SOLDIER WITH 3 DEPLOYMENTS, 2 BRONZE STARS, AND A COMBAT ACTION BADGE, EMBODIED SELFLESS SERVICE AND LOVE FOR HIS COUNTRY. KNOWN FOR HIS WIT- ‘DON’T BE A CLOWN SHOE, ‘CHICKS DIG SCARS,’ AND RUB SOME DIRT ON IT ‘- HE CHERISHED HIS FAMILY,
HUNTING, AND FISHING. FOREVER OUR HERO.

SSG JARI HUDGINS
OKLAHOMA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

JARI, WAS A PROUD NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN OF CADDO HERITAGE, BORN AND RAISED IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA. A STANDOUT ATHLETE, SHE PLAYED VARSITY BASKETBALL AT NORMAN HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE ANSWERING A HIGHER CALLING BY ENLISTING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. JARI WAS A LEADER IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. SHE LED HER SOLDIERS THROUGH ACTION, NOT JUST INSTRUCTION. HER AUTHENTICITY, TENACITY, AND LOVE FOR HER TEAM EARNED HER UNWAVERING RESPECT. ONE OF HER SOLDIERS LATER NAMED THEIR DAUGHTER AFTER JARIA POWERFUL AND ENDURING TRIBUTE TO THE KIND OF LEADER AND PERSON SHE WAS. A DEVOTED WIFE, AND MOTHER, A FEARLESS WARRIOR, AND A RESPECTED NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER; HER PRESENCE IS DEEPLY MISSED, BUT
HER LEGACY OF COURAGE ENDURES.

CPL COTY “SOCKS” SOCKALOSKY
USMC

COTY WAS BORN FEBRUARY 12TH 1989. HE WAS 21 YEARS OLD WHEN HE STEPPED ON AN IED IN MARJAH AFGHANISTAN ON OCT 3RD 2010. HE WAS FLOWN TO LANDSTUHL GERMANY, WHERE I MET UP WITH HIM AND I WAS WITH HIM WHEN HE DIED OCTOBER 6, 2010.

COTY WAS ON HIS 3RD DEPLOYMENT, FIRST HE WAS IN RAMADI, IRAQ AT FOB EAGLE IN 2008-2009. THEN ON A MEU TO SOUTH AMERICA IN 2009. AND JULY OF 2010 HE VOLUNTEERED TO GO AHEAD OF HIS UNIT TO SETUP FOR HIS UNITS ARRIVAL. COTY WAS A 0331 IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS. HE IS HIGHLY REGARDED BY EVERYONE THAT SERVED WITH HIM. SO MUCH SO THAT EVERY OCT THE 3RD – 6TH, THE ONES THAT WERE AT THE BLAST COME AND SIT BY HIS GRAVE IN CORDELE, GA, OVER THE 3 DAYS TO SHOW THEIR LOVE FOR HIM. IN 15 YEARS, THEY HAVE NEVER MISSED A YEAR.

THAT’S THE KIND OF MAN EVERY PARENT HOPES TO RAISE…

ONE THAT IS LOVED BY SO MANY.