Hero Stories for Illinois

Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton, 26, of Carlyle, Ilinois, died June 19, 2009, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. Staff Sgt. Melton was an Illinois Army National Guardsman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry, Marion, Illinois. </d

Spc. David A. Schaefer, Jr., 27, of Belleville, Illinois, died May 16, 2009, in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit. Spc. Schaefer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Schweinfurt, Germany. </d

Sgt. Lukasz D. Saczek, 23, of Lake in the Hills, Illinois, died May 10, 2009, in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. Sgt. Saczek was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Woodstock, Illinois. </d

Spc. Omar M. Albrak, 21, of Chicago, Illinois, died May 9, 2009, in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a motor vehicle accident. Spc. Albrak was an Individual Ready Reserve soldier assigned to the Headquarters, Multi-National Forces Iraq. </d

Sgt. Robert M. Weinger, 24, of Round Lake Beach, Illinois, died March 15, 2009, in Jalabad, Afghanistan, as a result of injuries sustained in Kot, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Sgt. Weinger was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Woodstock, Illinois. </d

Spc. Norman L. Cain III, 22, of Oregon, Illinois, died March 15, 2009, in Kot, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Spc. Cain was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Woodstock, Illinois. </d

Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta, 23, of Midlothian, Illinois, died March 15, 2009, in Jalabad, Afghanistan, as a result of injuries sustained in Kot, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Sgt. Abeyta was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Woodstock, Illinois. </d

Sgt. Simone A. Robinson, 21, of Dixmoor, Illinois, died March 1, 2009, at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near her security post on January 17 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Sgt. Robinson was assigned to the 634th Brigade Support Battalion of the Illinois Army National Guard, Crestwood, Illinois.<