Veterans' Day honor roll

The loss of any person in war is worthy of mourning and recognition. On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Americans pause to remember all those service members who have died in the line of duty. This Eons story pays special attention to the 23 Americans who were 50 or older at the time of their deaths in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sgt. 1st Class Ramon A. Acevedo Aponte

Hometown: Watertown, N.Y.
Age: 51
Died: Oct. 26, 2005
Unit: Army, 3rd Forward Support Battalion, Division Support Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Humvee in Rustamiyah.
Acevedo Aponte was originally from Puerto Rico, and left a wife, Mianel, and children, along with nine brothers. His family brought his remains back to Puerto Rico for burial. Fellow soldier Eric Segundo described him as "a role model and a friend."

Command Sgt. Maj. Edward C. Barnhill

Hometown: Shreveport, La.
Age: 50
Died: May 14, 2004
Unit: Army Reserves, 431st Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, North Little Rock, Ark.
Incident: Died of an apparent heart attack in Baghdad.
Barnhill died after he was found unconscious in a hallway at the Coalition Provincial Authority headquarters building in Baghdad. He was senior enlisted advisor to his battalion and had been mobilized three months earlier. He had served in the Army Reserve since 1972. As a civilian, Barnhill worked as an engineering technician for the State of Louisiana Department of Transportation and Design in Shreveport, La. He was survived by his wife, Paula, and his two sons, Marcus and Jason.

Chief Warrant Officer Clarence E. Boone

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Age: 50
Died: Dec. 2, 2003
Unit: Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Tex.
Incident: Died of a non-combat related injury in Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Boone died of an apparent heart attack. He was serving as a property accounting technician and was stationed at Fort Hood. He had served in the Army since 1973. During his service he earned several medals including the Bronze Star.

Sgt. Frank T. Carvill

Hometown: Carlstadt, N.J.
Age: 51
Died: June 4, 2004
Unit: Army National Guard, 3rd Battalion, 112th Field Artillery, Army National Guard, Lawrenceville, N.J.
Incident: Killed when his convoy was attacked with makeshift bombs and rocket-propelled grenades in Baghdad.
Carvill grew up in New Jersey, son of Irish immigrants, and worked as a paralegal. He was a lifelong Democrat and interned for a Congressman during college. He was active in Irish-American organizations, enjoyed skiing and kayaking, and once circumnavigated Manhattan by canoe.
He was survived by his mother, a brother, a sister, and his longtime girlfriend. On the day he died, Carvill was due to return home from Iraq for two weeks leave -- but the death of another serviceman's relative caused him to be bumped from the schedule. He had been planning to retire from the service to study law.
His death came after two narrow escapes at the World Trade Center in New York. On Feb. 26, 1993, when terrorists tried to blow up the center for the first time, Carvill, a paralegal for a trade center law firm, helped carry an incapacitated co-worker down 54 stories.
And on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Carvill, by then a Port Authority paralegal, left his 68th-floor north tower office to take a deposition -- only to hear the first hijacked plane hit his building 10 minutes later.

Staff Sgt. William D. Chaney

Hometown: Schaumburg, Ill.
Age: 59
Died: May 18, 2004
Unit: Army National Guard, B Company, 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment, Army National Guard, Chicago, Ill.
Incident: Died from surgery complications in Landstuhl, Germany, after he was evacuated for appendicitis.
Vietnam veteran, Staff Sgt. William D. Chaney went to Iraq hoping his experience there would lessen the bitterness from his Vietnam days, his wife said. "When he came back (from Vietnam), he had trouble joining the VFW because they said he hadn't fought in a real war," Carol Chaney said.
She said Chaney joined VietNow, a veteran's organization, in 1986, and was motivated to join a Reserve unit. He worked as a technician at Chicago's Midway Airport. He died from complications after surgery to remove his appendix. He was survived by his wife and son, Christopher.

Master Sgt. Herbert R. Claunch

Hometown: Wetumpka, Ala.
Age: 58
Died: April 18, 2004
Unit: Army National Guard, 217th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, Prattville, Ala.
Incident: Died of a heart attack in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after collapsing in his quarters.

Claunch, manager of a yarn store in his hometown, was the father of two children and had been in the National Guard for 39 years. His family remembered him as a kind and caring man who loved Christmas and his country. He had an option of not going to Guantanamo with his unit - he'd had heart trouble in the past, and his wife had stomach cancer - but wanted to serve.

1st Sgt. Christopher D. Coffin

Hometown: Bethlehem, Pa.
Age: 51
Died: July 1, 2003
Unit: Army Reserves, 352nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Riverdale, Md.
Incident: Coffin was killed when his vehicle ran into a ditch while trying to avoid a civilian vehicle.
Coffin and his wife, Betsy, had renewed their vows three years ago at the Pennsylvania church that held his funeral service. He was a policeman at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, and was a certified police officer in Maine. He had planned to retire from the National Guard in 2003, but was prevented because of the war in Iraq. Instead, before he deployed, he left dozens of small love notes to his wife, concealed all over their house.

Staff Sgt. Carlos Dominguez

Hometown: Savannah, Ga.
Age: 57
Died: Sept. 23, 2006
Unit: Army, 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, Utica, N.Y.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Humvee during combat operations in Taji.

Dominguez, a civil affairs specialist, was proud of his work helping Iraqis rebuild their nation. He kept in contact with family - wife Kim, two daughters and a son - through weekly phone calls and e-mails. He was a native of Los Angeles, and his funeral there was marked by several dozen Patriot Guard motorcycle group members.

Barbara Heald

Hometown: Stamford, Conn.
Age: 60
Died: Jan. 29, 2005
Unit: Army Project and Contracting Office
Incident: Killed by a rocket attack on the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad.

Heald had retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and chose to go to Iraq as a civilian contracting officer for the Army. Two days before her death, she sent her brother and sister a friend's contact information in case something happened to her, but added with her note that she hoped they would only need to use it for planning a surprise party. She was working in the Republican National Palace in Baghdad's Green Zone when it was hit by a missile attack. She was on her second tour of duty in Iraq and was making plans for a third.

Sgt. 1st Class Merideth L. Howard

Hometown: Alameda, Calif.
Age: 52
Died: Sept. 8, 2006
Unit: Army Reserves, 405th Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Incident: Killed when a vehicle-borne makeshift bomb exploded near her Humvee in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Howard had been in the Army Reserve from 1988 to 1994, and was recalled in 2005 to join a civil affairs group in Iraq. She served as a gunner on a Humvee - an assignment she requested - standing on a small wooden box so she could see over the turret. She enjoyed woodworking and had outfitted her quarters with an armoire and side table made from scrap wood. She had married her longtime boyfriend, Hugh Hvolboll, just before being deployed. She was the oldest U.S. servicewoman known to have died in any conflict.

Lt. Cmdr. Edward E. Jack

Hometown: Detroit
Age: 51
Died: Jan. 29, 2005
Unit: Navy, Commander, Destroyer Squadron Seven, San Diego, Calif.
Incident: Died of a heart attack aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard.
Jack was a Lutheran minister and military chaplain known for mentoring and comforting sailors. His wife Jean said he liked adventure and had been previously deployed to the war zone. He had served in the Navy for 23 years and was due to retire in six months. He also was survived by a son and daughter.

Sgt. Floyd G. Knighten Jr.

Hometown: Olla, La.
Age: 55
Died: Aug. 9, 2003
Unit: Army National Guard, 1087th Transportation Support Company, Army National Guard, Fort Polk, La.
Incident: Sgt. Knighten died in a non-combat related incident while traveling in a convoy from Camp Bilad to Camp Pennsylvania.
Knighten and his son Floyd III served in the same transportation company, with the older man repairing trucks and his son driving them. His death was attributed to extreme heat, with temperatures over 120 degrees Fahrenheit. He had served in the military for his entire adult life, first with the Navy and then with the National Guard. He had previously been deployed during the first Persian Gulf war.

Sgt. 1st Class John W. Marshall

Hometown: Los Angeles
Age: 50
Died: April 8, 2003
Unit: Army, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Incident: Struck by an enemy rocket-propelled grenade during an ambush.
Each year, Marshall would bring home papers to process his retirement, and each year his wife Denise would say the decision was up to him. He died while helping the 3rd Infantry Division secure a key intersection in Baghdad. He was a career Army man who took a four-year leave to battle Hodgkins' lymphoma, then went right back in. His parents were both Army veterans, and mother Odessa wore her uniform to his funeral. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Sgt. 1st Class Otie J. McVey

Hometown: Oak Hill, W.Va.
Age: 53
Died: Nov. 7, 2004
Unit: Army Reserves, 706th Transportation Company, U.S. Army Reserve, Kenton, Ohio
Incident: Evacuated from Baghdad on Sept. 23 for a non-combat related illness (cancer) and died in Beaver, W.Va.
McVey, a Vietnam veteran, on this deployment was able to keep in touch with wife Teresa and sons Joseph and Sean via videoconference. He had first enlisted in the Marines in 1971 and joined the Army Reserve in 1983, serving as a reservist while working for the West Virginia Department of Highways.

Spec. Clifford L. Moxley Jr.

Hometown: New Castle, Pa.
Age: 51
Died: Sept. 25, 2004
Unit: Army National Guard
Incident: Found dead in his bed of natural causes.
Moxley met his future wife, Jean, at a bar when he asked her to dance. After the song, he said to her, "If you ever decide to settle down with one man, give me a call." She called him, and they'd been together ever since. One of his great joys was playing with his grandchildren. During his two-week leave, Moxley made it a point to spend time with them -- even if it meant bouncing on a trampoline. He was served his favorite meal, fried chicken with a side of spaghetti and meat sauce. In his civilian life, Moxley worked as a packer at Castle Cheese in Slippery Rock. In addition to his wife, Moxley was survived by two daughters and a son.

Lt. Col. Charles E. Munier

Hometown: Wheatland, Wyo.
Age: 50
Died: June 12, 2006
Unit: Army National Guard, Wyoming Army National Guard training site, Guernsey, Wyo.
Incident: Died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., from a non-combat related cause (stroke) that occurred on June 5, in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The military was Munier's life. He had joined the Army Reserve in 1978 and served on active duty from 1980 to 1992. He then became an assistant professor of military science at the University of Wyoming and an admissions field representative for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He and his wife Nancy had bought a local store before the 2001 terrorist attacks, but then he was recalled to active duty, serving in Afghanistan. Besides his wife, he was survived by a daughter, his parents and his grandmother.

Master Sgt. Robb G. Needham

Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.
Age: 51
Died: Sept. 20, 2006
Unit: Army Reserves, 1st Battalion, 356th Regiment (Logistical Support), 4th Brigade, 91st Division, U.S. Army Reserve, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Incident: Killed when his patrol came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations in Baghdad.
Needham was remembered as an optimist who believed it was his duty to serve in Iraq. While serving, he sent regular e-mails inquiring after his pastor, who was fighting his own battle with cancer. His duties in Iraq included training Iraqi commandos and special forces. He was moved by the plight of hungry Iraqi children, and family members would send treats and toys to share with them. He was survived by his wife, mother, two children and two grandchildren.

Staff Sgt. Ronald L. Paulsen

Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.
Age: 53
Died: Oct. 17, 2006
Unit: Army Reserves, Army Reserve's 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, Utica, N.Y.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle in Tarmiya.
Paulsen had been out of the Army for 13 years and never expected to be called up again. He had been married just before his deployment, and was working as lead warehouseman at Gunderson Inc., which builds rail cars and barges. He enjoyed fishing and smoked his own salmon. His previous Army service included the first Persian Gulf war. At the time of his death he was helping to build a clinic for Iraqi villagers.

Staff Sgt. Milton Rivera-Vargas

Hometown: Boqueron, Puerto Rico
Age: 55
Died: Dec. 8, 2005
Unit: Army National Guard, 1st Battalion, 296th Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard, Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.
Incident: Died of a non-combat related cause (heart attack) while on guard duty in Kalsu.
Rivera-Vargas was a 29-year veteran of the Army National Guard and had seven children ranging in age from 7 to 34. He was buried in Cabo Rojo, a town in southwestern Puerto Rico.

Sgt. Roger D. Rowe

Hometown: Bon Aqua, Tenn.
Age: 54
Died: July 9, 2003
Unit: Army National Guard, 1174th Troop Command, Columbia, Tenn.
Incident: Rowe died as a result of an enemy sniper attack.
Rowe was a medic, generator mechanic and truck driver who loved spending time with his four children and seven grandchildren. Second on the list was working with wood -- he'd planned to build a clubhouse for his grandchildren when he got back from Iraq. He was the first Tennessee National Guardsman killed in Iraq, and a bridge in his home state was named after him.

Master Sgt. David A. Scott

Hometown: Union, Ohio
Age: 51
Died: July 20, 2003
Unit: Air Force, 445th Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
Incident: Died of a brain aneurysm in Doha, Qatar.
Scott had been drafted into the Army to serve in Vietnam, then served 12 years as a Marine before joining the Air Force reserve. He was working as assistant chief of information systems, helping to grant diplomatic clearances and ship equipment to troops. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and watching football. He was survived by his wife Debra.

Sgt. 1st Class John T. Stone

Hometown: Norwich, Vt.
Age: 52
Died: March 28, 2006 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Army National Guard, 15th Civil Support Team, Army National Guard, South Burlington, Vt.
Incident: Killed as a result of enemy mortar and small arms attacks during combat operations in Lashkagar, Afghanistan.
Stone was a junior in high school when his brother Dana, a freelance photographer, disappeared in Cambodia. He joined the Army in 1971, motivated in part by a desire to know what happened. Over the years Stone served in the regular Army, the reserves and the Vermont National Guard. Between 1992 and 2000 he walked around the world, literally, 22,000 miles through 29 countries.

Master Sgt. Thomas R. Thigpen Sr.

Hometown: Augusta, Ga.
Age: 52
Died: March 16, 2004
Unit: Army National Guard
Incident: Collapsed during a game of tag football
Before his unit was activated, Thigpen was a civilian budget analyst with the 15th Signal Brigade. He was survived by his wife, a daughter and two granddaughters. He had been expected home in a month, and wife Theresa had been planning to surprise him with a Caribbean cruise.