U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, honors the fallen from 9/11

U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley stated that: “The Western District of Louisiana remembers all of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service of our country. It has been 15 years since the terror attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, and the tragic loss of life still impacts us today.  It never gets easy remembering the fear we felt and the images of destruction that are not common in our country. We also recall the courageous acts of valor from first responders and citizens who gave their all to help those affected by the attacks. We cannot forget the fallen soldiers from the Western District of Louisiana who answered the call to defend this nation.  They are in our thoughts every time the Department of Justice works to eliminate threats to national security.  No aspect of our work is more important or more urgent.  As we reflect on this day, let’s take a moment to remember all of those who have died here and abroad and continue to keep their families in our prayers.” 

Below is a list of Louisiana’s Fallen Heroes who served Honorably in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operating Enduring Freedom.  Thank you to all of those who continue to serve!

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Army Sgt. 1^st Class Andrew T. Weathers, of DeRidder, La, Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher O. Grant, 20, of Richwood, La., Army Spc. Christopher R. Drake, 20, of Tickfaw, La., Army Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Henderson, 27, of Franklin, La., Air Force Tech. Sgt. Larry Bunn, 43, of Bossier City, La., Marine Sgt. Michael J. Guillory, 28, of Pearl River, La., Army Capt. Aaron D. Istre, 37, of Vinton, La., Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 1^st Class Joseph P. Fitzmorris, 31, of West Monroe, La., Navy Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, La., Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, La., Army Sgt. Christopher P. Soderlund, 23, of Pineville, La., Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Garcia, 27, of Bossier City, La., Air Force Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Douville, 33, of Harvey, La., Marine Cpl. Matthew T. Richard, 21, of Acadia, La., Army Staff Sgt. Quadi S. Hudgins, 26, of New Orleans, Army Spc. Christian J. Romig, 24, of Kenner, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Dakota R. Huse, 19, of Greenwood, La., Army Spc. Steven L. Dupont, 20, of Lafayette, La., Army Spc. Matthew C. Powell, 20, of Slidell, La., Marine Sgt. Joseph A. Bovia, 24, of Kenner, La., Marine Sgt. Joe L. Wrightsman, 23, of Jonesboro, La., Army Sgt. Jordan E. Tuttle, 22, of West Monroe, La., Army Pfc. Bryant J. Haynes, 21, of Epps, La., Army Maj. Ronald W. Culver Jr., 44, of Shreveport, La., Army Sgt. Joshua A. Tomlinson, 24, of Dubberly, La., Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson, 24, of Broussard, La., Army Pfc. Brian R. Bates Jr., 20, of Gretna, La., Army Spc. Michael S. Cote Jr., 20, of Denham Springs, La., Army Pfc. Matthew E. Wildes, 18, of Hammond, La., Army Pfc. Jason R. Watson, 19, of Many, La., Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Milton E. Suggs, 51, of Lockport, La., Air Force Senior Airman Omar J. McKnight, 22, of Marrero, La., Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Todd Jr., 36, of Marrero, La., Marine Staff Sgt. Danny P. Dupre, 28, of Lockport, La., Army Pfc. Bryan M. Thomas, 22, of Lake Charles, La., Army Sgt. 1st Class David R. Hurst, 31, of Kenner, La., Army Cpl. Justin R. Mixon, 22, of Bogalusa, La., Army Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III, 27, of Lafayette, La., Army Sgt. Terrell W. Gilmore, 38, of Baton Rouge, La., Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Gabel, 30, of Crowley, La., Army Staff Sgt. Jarred S. Fontenot, 35, of Port Barre, La., Army Pvt. Justin T. Sanders, 22, of Watson, La., Army Spc. Charles E. Leonard Jr., 29, of Monroe, La., Army Sgt. 1st Class John M. Hennen, 26, of Vinton, La., Army Cpl. William J. Crouch, 21, of Zachary, La., Marine Cpl. Willie P. Celestine Jr., 21, of Lafayette, La., Army Pvt. Mark W. Graham, 22, of Lafayette, La., Army Staff Sgt. Ronnie L. Sanders, 26, of Thibodaux, La., Army Spc. Johnathan B. Chism, 22, of Gonzales, La., Army Staff Sgt. Jacob G. McMillan, 25, of Lafayette, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Myles C. Sebastien, 21, of Opelousas, La., Army Spc. Joshua B. Madden, 21, of Sibley, La., Army Sgt. Jay R. Gauthreaux, 26, of Thibodaux, La., Army Pvt. Joshua C. Burrows, 20, of Bossier City, La., Army Cpl. Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, of New Orleans, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Jon E. Bowman, 21, of Dubach, La., Marine Lance Cpl. John E. Hale, 20, of Shreveport, La., Army Cpl. Marcus A. Cain, 20, of Crowley, La., Army Sgt. Matthew J. Vosbein, 30, of Metairie, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Donald E. Champlin, 28, of Natchitoches, La., Army Sgt. 1st Class Terry O.P. Wallace, 33, of Winnsboro, La., Corpsman 3rd Class Lee Hamilton Deal, 23, of West Monroe, La., Army Spc. Brandon L. Teeters, 21, of Lafayette, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Derrick J. Cothran, 21, of Avondale, La., Marine Pfc. Chase A. Edwards, 19, of Lake Charles, La., Army Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Lewis, 32, of Bunkie, La., Marine 1st Lt. Brandon R. Dronet, 33, of Erath, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Barnes, 20, of West Monroe, La., Army Spc. William S. Hayes III, 23, of St. Tammany, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Billy D. Brixey Jr., 21, of Ferriday, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan S. McCurdy, 20, of Baton Rouge, La., Army Sgt. Julia V. Atkins, 22, of Bossier City, La., Army Pfc. Benny S. Franklin, 19, of Hammond, La., Army Staff Sgt. Jens E. Schelbert, 31, of New Orleans, La., Army Sgt. Willard T. Partridge, 35, of Ferriday, La., Marine Cpl. David S. Stewart, 24, of Bogalusa, La., Navy Chief Fire Controlman (SEAL) Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, La., Marine Cpl. Chad W. Powell, 22, of West Monroe, La., Army Sgt. David J. Murray, 23, of Clinton, La., Army Sgt. 1st Class Peter J. Hahn, 31, of Kenner, La., Army Sgt. Robin V. Fell, 22, of Shreveport, La., Army Sgt. Bernard L. Sembly II, 25, of Bossier City, La., Army 1st Sgt. Michael J. Bordelon, 37, of Morgan City, La., Marine Cpl. Richard P. Schoener, 21, of Hayes, La., Army Sgt. Maj. Barbaralien Banks, 41, of Harvey, La., Army Sgt. Isiah J. Sinclair, 31, of Natchitoches, La., Army Sgt. Lee M. Godbolt, 23, of New Orleans, La., Army Sgt. Paul M. Heltzel, 39, of Baton Rouge, La., Army Sgt. Nicholas J. Olivier, 26, of Ruston, La., Army Spc. Seth R. Trahan, 20, of Crowley, La., Army Sgt. Rene Knox Jr., 22, of New Orleans, La., Army Spc. Christopher J. Ramsey, 20, of Batchelor, La., Army Spc. Michael S. Evans II, 22, Marrero, La., Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan R. Reed, 25, of Opelousas, La., Army Staff Sgt. William F. Manuel, 34, of Kinder, La., Army Sgt. Robert W. Sweeney III, 22, of Pineville, La., Army Spc. Warren A. Murphy, 29, of Marrero, La., Army Spc. Armand "Luke" Frickey, 20, Houma, La., Army Spc. Huey P.L. Fassbender, 24, of LaPlace, La., Army Spc. Bradley J. Bergeron, 25, of Houma, La., Army Sgt. Christopher J. Babin, 27, of Houma, La., Army Sgt. 1st Class Kurt J. Comeaux, 34, of Raceland, La., Army Sgt. Craig L. Nelson, 21, of Bossier City, La., Army 1st Lt. Christopher W. Barnett, 32, of Baton Rouge, La., Army Pfc. Lionel Ayro, 22, of Jeanerette, La., Marine Sgt. Jeffrey L. Kirk, 24, of Baton Rouge, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Justin D. McLeese, 19, of Covington, La., Marine Pfc. David P. Burridge, 19, of Lafayette, La., Army Spc. Joseph C. Thibodeaux 24, of Lafayette, La., Marine Lance Cpl. Larry L. Wells 22, of Mount Hermon, La., Army Pfc. Torey J. Dantzler 22; of Columbia, La., Army Pfc. Charles C. Persing 20, of Albany, La., Army Spc. Robert L. DuSang 24, of Mandeville, La., Army Spc. Jeremy M. Heines 25, of New Orleans, La., Army Cpl. David M. Fraise 24, of New Orleans, La., Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Mogensen 26, of Leesville, La., Army Pfc. James P. Lambert 23, of Ascension Parish, La., Army Command Sgt. Maj. Edward C. Barnhill 50, of Shreveport, La., Army Staff Sgt. Toby W. Mallet 26, of Kaplan, La., Army Staff Sgt. Craig Davis 37, of Opelousas, La., Army Pfc. Kristian E. Parker, 23, of Slidell, La., Army Sgt. Taft V. Williams, 29, of New Orleans, La., Army Sgt. Floyd G. Knighten Jr., 55, of Olla, La., Army Spc. Levi B. Kinchen, 21, of Tickfaw, La., and Army Pfc. Wilfred D. Bellard, 20, of Lake Charles, La.

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This year the Department of Justice took part in a series of events marking the 15^th anniversary. They started with a ceremony on Friday, September 9, which dedicated of a plaque for the department’s own “Survivor Tree.” The department’s tree was a seedling from the famed the Callery pear tree that once stood on the original World Trade Center Plaza.  The collapse of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 nearly destroyed it, but the original tree was nursed back to health, and today it stands strong again at the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan, where it is often adorned with tributes. 

Fruit from the World Trade Center Survivor Tree was harvested in the fall of 2011.  In the summer of 2013, the students of John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens, N.Y., took the seedlings and continued to care for them.  The 9/11 Memorial graciously donated one of these very special Survivor Tree seedlings to the Department of Justice, which was planted in the U.S. Department of Justice Courtyard in Washington, D.C.

Additionally, the Department of Justice marked the anniversary with U.S. Attorney General Lorretta E. Lynch attending the New York City Fire Department’s 15^th Anniversary Memorial Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on Saturday, September 10; the attorney general attending the 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum Plaza in New York today; and the attorney general delivering remarks at the 9/11 Memorial Service at the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, N.Y., today.

The September 11^th National Day of Service and Remembrance is also observed today. Since 2002 it has been an effort to inspire charitable service on 9/11 as a tribute to 9/11 victims, survivors and those who lent support in the wake of the terror attacks. Find out more about how to serve at www.serve.gov/site-page/september-11th-national-day-service-and-remembrance.