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A Tribute: PFC Charles S. Cooper, Jr., PFC Darren A. DeBlanc |
Infantry Soldiers honor fallen comrades
By Spec. Matthew McLaughlin
2nd Brigade Combat Team Journalist
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Hardened Soldiers struggled to find
words that would give justice to their fallen brothers. Through their
choked words, however, came a sincerity and sense of loss that only
comrades in arms could express.
Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI),
honored Pfc. Charles S. Cooper, Jr. and Pfc. Darren A. DeBlanc, both
Soldiers from C Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, Thursday.
Cooper and DeBlanc were killed April 29 when an improvised explosive
device detonated in the Abu Ghraib district of Baghdad. Capt. Byron
Dobson, C Company commander, remembered them as Soldiers with
extraordinary courage and dedication.
“They were just like everyone else, with hopes and dreams for the future,”
Dobson said. “They were exceptional Soldiers: dedicated, loyal and
unselfish. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. I’m proud to call them
my brothers.”
Cooper was born Feb. 25, 1986, in Jamestown. He enlisted in the Army on
July 8, 2004, right after graduating from high school. He reported to Fort
Drum in November the same year and quickly made friends with his new 2-14
Infantry comrades, said Pfc. Joseph Carmosiono, a friend of Cooper’s from
2-14 Infantry.
“He will be remembered for his quiet, calm demeanor, his great sense of
humor, his infectious smile and his ability to make friends quickly,” he
said. “He was always ready to take in new places and explore the world. We
all joked about how he joined the Army to see the world and ended up being
assigned to Fort Drum in his own home state.”
Like Cooper, DeBlanc enlisted in the Army shortly after graduation with
goals of travel and adventure. DeBlanc was born April 5, 1985, in
Evansville, Ind. He joined the Army on Nov. 20, 2003. DeBlanc arrived at
Fort Drum in March 2004 and was assigned to C Company, 2-14 Infantry,
right as the company returned from Iraq. DeBlanc also will be remembered
by his fellow Soldiers for his easygoing demeanor, said Spec. Derek
Speicher, a friend of DeBlanc’s.
“Darren was a man with many friends,” Speicher said. “He was adventurous
and often talked of the places he wanted to see and experience. He could
not wait to see the world. He never met a person he could not win over and
make them break out in laughter with his kind smile and sense of humor.”
Cooper’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army
Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service
Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and
Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He is survived by his father, Charles Cooper
Sr., and his mother, Sherry Weaver.
DeBlanc’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army
Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service
Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and
Combat Infantryman’s Badge. DeBlanc is survived by his father, Michael
DeBlanc, and his mother, Judy DeBlanc.
Thanks to the Fort Drum Public Affairs Office for the above text.