Hometown Soldier Killed

[Vee Dub Nut]

Hey Guys,

I just got news that a guy I used to go to school and church with was killed in Iraq yesterday. He was a gunner in a convey that was attacked early Monday morning, he was picked up by helicopter but was dead by the time they arrived at the medic.

This is kinda hittin me close to home, I have known this guy for a long time, but has been a couple of years since i have seen him.

Please keep his family in your prayers...

Rest in Peace Chris.... Godspeed

http://www.coloradocountycitizen.com/articles/2005/06/21/news/news01.txt

[kurt]

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. It seems it is getting to the point where everyone seems to have suffered a loss over the war. Us (in Austin) too.... The article mentions your friend as well.

Soldier remembered for generosity
He had planned to build home in Central Texas after retiring from Army

By Anita Powell

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Master Sgt. Robert M. Horrigan dreamed of buying a plot of land in Central Texas and settling there with his wife and daughter after his retirement from the Army next year.

That dream took a bitter turn when military officials announced Tuesday that Horrigan, 40, had died Friday during a combat operation in Iraq.

Horrigan and another Fort Bragg, N.C.-based soldier, Master Sgt. Michael L. McNulty, 36, of Knoxville, Tenn., died after being shot at by enemy combatants in Al Qaim, Iraq, Army officials said.

Both were members of Fort Bragg's elite U.S. Army Special Operations Command, a group that includes the Green Berets. Horrigan joined the Army in 1984 and the Special Forces in 1991, where he served as a weapons sergeant.

Horrigan and McNulty were the 1,721st and 1,722nd troops to die since the war in Iraq began in March 2003, according to the Department of Defense. Of those troops, Horrigan and McNulty were two of the 1,319 who were killed in action.

Both men were posthumously given the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device. Horrigan was also awarded the Legion of Merit.

Another Texas soldier, Pfc. Christopher R. Kilpatrick, 18, of Columbus, died Monday. He was killed in Tal Afar, Iraq, when the Humvee he was riding in was bombed and fired at by enemy forces.

Horrigan's relatives, many of whom live in Austin, remembered him as a loving father and brother, a skilled knife maker, an excellent cook and an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. Horrigan holds a state record for catching a 38-inch-long eel on the San Marcos River in 1989.

"He was very funny, very laid back," said Horrigan's sister-in-law, Lisa England, who lives near Lake Travis. "He was the type of guy who, if you liked the shirt he was wearing, he'd take it off and give it to you."

During Christmas vacations, Horrigan would visit and help family members with assorted tasks, England said.

"He came and did work on his mother's house; he helped my son with his car; he was just give, give, give," she said. "We wish we could've given more to him."

She added that Horrigan had been on multiple tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, including one in Afghanistan shortly after Sept. 11, 2001. His current tour, from which he planned to return next month, was to be his last.

"They were buying some land out here and moving out here in December," she said, choking back tears. "Everybody was really looking forward to them being back."

Horrigan's wife, Denise, said she was instantly drawn to the young soldier she met 18 years ago in an Austin bar. They married three years later.

"We had so much in common," she said. "He was funny. He was adorable. I would've married him two days after I met him."

But, she added, "It's weird that I was so attracted to Robert. (His identical twin) John was there as well, but I didn't give John a second glance."

She said her husband's dedication to his duty was one of his finest qualities. "He was the ultimate soldier," she said. "If there was a poster child, he would've been it."

A visitation is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Harrell Funeral Home. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary Cathedral, 203 E. 10th St.

Horrigan's older sister, Lisa Shine, said that despite the family's loss, everyone supported his choice to pursue a dangerous career, even at the cost of his life.

"He died doing what he believed in," she said. "He died trying to bring life and liberty to more people. He felt that was worth fighting for."

I believe his brother is an Austin Firefighter. My condolences to both of the families.

[Texas T]

Sorry for your loss, Adam. I have a friend in Force Recon over there so I hope I don't hear this kind of news myself.

[Vee Dub Nut]

thanks for the kind words guys.. it just kinda hit me hard last night, really hard to explain...

His family is definately in my prayers..

[Tourmeister]

:tab It hits hard because it drives home your own mortality. That is something that usually makes all of us a bit uncomfortable. When it is a friend close in age to us, it makes it all the more personal because we realize it could just as well have been us instead. I do not believe your friend died a meaningless death in a meaningless war. I am sorry to hear of his death.

[Snoopster]

So sorry to hear about your loss, Adam.