From Cathy of the Soldiers' Angels Living Legends Team:
We have a fallen Hero from Soldiers' Angels, Spc. Matthew T. Grimm.
Matt, 21, of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. died Jan 15 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.
He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Matt is survived by his parents, Eldon and Jean, and his brother, Andrew, who is serving in Iraq. Andrew is coming home this week to be with their family.
Cathy
Matt joined the Army after graduation from Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School in 2004 and was sent to Iraq in late October of 2006. His brother, Andrew, 23, serves in Iraq as a specialist with the Wisconsin National Guard.
In summer of 2004 Matt worked with Reffner Motor Sports in Stevens Point, the stock car racing team of his cousin, Bryan Feffner, the 1995 champion of the American Speed Association.
"He was always ready to take on a new challenge," Reffner said Tuesday. "Matt worked in the shop, and in racing, that's 90 percent of the work."
Source: Today's TMJ4
The Patriot Guard Riders are standing by to ride for Spc Matthew T. Grimm.
Three other Task Force Lightning soldiers based out of Fort Bliss were also killed in the same attack: 2nd Lt. Mark J. Daily, 23, of Irvine, Calif.; Sgt. Ian C. Anderson, 22, of Prairie Village, Kan.; and Sgt. John E. Cooper, 29, of Ewing, Ky.
Update: Blackfive has more on all four soldiers here.
Update 2: An 'angel' remembers communication with Grimm
“We wrote back and forth pretty much everyday,” [Soldiers' Angel Jennifer] Krzys said via telephone Monday. “It was such a short period of time, but it was intense... We became really close, you just felt that way with Matt, you just had this bond. He was so caring and so loving and so funny, you just couldn’t help but be drawn in.”
A veteran angel, Krzys has sent hundreds of letters to dozens of soldiers over the past few years. ( ... )
As part of her curriculum [as a teacher], Krzys has her students write letters to soldiers as well. Even though she became emotional during class, she informed her students of the news Monday.
“I wasn’t ashamed to let them see me sad,” she said. “I told them, ‘If you only learn one thing from me this year... it’s what the flag stands for... when you see the flag, or sing the pledge, think of Matt.’
Remember our Heroes.
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