Soldier with local 278th killed in Iraq
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Lebanon resident Staff Sgt. Asbury Hawn II, 35, had been with McMinnville’s unit as a member of the 278th for the past nine years. He leaves behind a wife and two sons, ages 12 and 4.
Sgt. Shannon Taylor, 30, of Smithville and Sgt. Gary Reese, 22, of Ashland City, also members of the 278th operating from different home bases, were killed with Hawn when a rocket-propelled grenade hit their vehicle.
Asbury Hawn Sr., said he constantly feared for his son’s safety in Iraq.
“There hadn’t been a minute we hadn’t worried about him,” he said. “If something happened over there, he would call us to let us know he was all right.”
First Sgt. Willie Bowers, who was in charge of the local National Guard from 2000 to 2003, said the mood from local soldiers in Iraq is somber. Bowers frequently chats on the Internet with soldiers in Iraq.
Bowers said one soldier wrote him and indicated everyone was stunned. “He told me everybody knew it could happen, but nobody thought it would,” said Bowers.
Bowers said he had the privilege of knowing Hawn well. Bowers said even though Hawn could have been affiliated with a National Guard unit closer to his home, he enjoyed his fellow soldiers in McMinnville and said it was worth making the trip.
“He was always trying to make a joke and he wasn’t real good at it,” said Bowers. “He was a thin man, the kind you wouldn’t necessarily think of as a soldier, but he gave I Troop everything he had.
“He’d come two days ahead of training drills and help us set up in advance. Sometimes he would take a week off from work to help get things ready.”
Hawn worked at the Nissan plant in Smyrna. He had just recently been promoted to staff sergeant.
The three deaths represent the largest loss of life in a single incident by the 278th Regimental Combat Team. To date, seven soldiers from the unit have lost their lives in Iraq, according to the Tennessee Army National Guard.
The three soldiers were assigned to Forward Operating Base Bernstien, one of three bases where McMinnville soldiers are deployed. The other two FOBs are Caldwell and Cobra.
A memorial service was held yesterday in Iraq and flags were flown at half-staff at FOB Caldwell.
Rocket-propelled grenades are just one of the dangers soldiers face while conducting their regular patrols. Another major threat is presented by improvised explosive devices, which are commonly rigged from mortar shells.
According to Bowers, the improvised explosive devices used to be detonated by someone in the immediate area, but the insurgents no longer follow that mode of operation because it was easy to determine who was responsible. Now the explosives can be detonated by cell phone calls.
The explosives also used to be buried, which made them easy to detect because American soldiers knew to look for fresh dirt. Now insurgents have gone so far as to hide explosives in road kill.
Staff Sgt. J. Dale of Murfreesboro, who writes a daily blog from Iraq, had this to say about the deaths of his fellow soldiers and friends:
“An installment on the price of freedom was paid locally over the weekend. Three Tennessee National Guard soldiers from the 278th paid their obligation in full. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these men and I pray that God will give them comfort in the knowledge that they died defending liberty and freedom.
“If I could speak to those families personally, I would tell them I have no idea the amount of pain and loss they are suffering, but I would assure them that as a soldier who has faced that split second in time that separates life and death, as someone who has experienced that surreal, awful, exhilarating moment when bullets are flying and rockets are exploding, as someone who has done those things and still remains on this side of eternity, I am confident one of the last things their soldiers were thinking of was their loved ones at home.”
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS
3RD SQUADRON, 278th REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
Dear families,
It is with the deepest sympathy I inform you of the loss of 3 of our soldiers on 13 August. I will not go into the details of the incident but they were killed in action while performing their duties. I will tell you these soldiers were performing their duties in an exemplary manner and bring great honor upon their families, their unit, and the United States. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Staff Sergeant Asbury Hawn of I Troop-McMinnville; Sergeant Shannon Taylor of How Battery-Sparta; and Specialist Gary Reese of M Company-Ashland City. Private First Class James Downs of M Company was injured in the incident and at this date is in stable condition in Germany undergoing treatment.
Up until this point we have avoided casualties during our deployment and it is with great regret I must share this information. We all are aware of the seriousness and danger of our mission. We accept that as a condition of our service. We must continue to be strong as a military family, maintain our focus and out of respect for these great soldiers, continue the mission until success.
It is time we rally around the families of our fallen soldiers to offer up any comfort we may be able to provide. In doing so, I would like to respect their privacy and their wishes while at the same time, ensuring they have the support of all of our families. We can not affect this support from here, but I am confident you, our families, will be able to provide this in so many ways unimaginable by us here. You have proven this time after time.
I know I can speak for all of our soldiers in saying our focus will remain solid, we will not be diverted from our mission, and we will not fail. These are not boastful words in the heat of the moment. This is our duty and out of respect for our fallen soldiers.
I wish to convey to the families of our fallen soldiers, my deepest sympathy and my assurance that our military family will be there for your support now and in the future. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Very respectfully,
Jeffrey H. Holmes
Lieutenant Colonel, Cavalry
Commanding