Hero Page

Our Never Forget Heroes

CW3 MICHAEL L. HARTWICK

1 April 2006

Army Chief Warrant Officer Michael L. Hartwick, 25, of Orrick, Missouri, was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 4th Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, and served during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. On April 1, 2006, CW3 Hartwick and another soldier died when their Apache helicopter crashed while conducting a combat air patrol in Baghdad, Iraq.

CW3 Hartwick graduated from Orrick High School in 1986. He had an all-American boy resume in high school: he was a member of the National Honor Society and student council, serving as senior class president, as well as playing football and basketball.  He joined the Army in 1992 and trained as an Apache helicopter pilot. He served in Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, and was twice deployed to Iraq.  CW3 was awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, the Air Force Achievement medal, the Army Good Conduct medal, the Air Force Good Conduct medal for his service and sacrifice.

“When I heard the news, I thought, ‘That’s one of America’s best and brightest,” said Sandra Pendleton, who taught CW3 Hartwick at Orrick High School. “If you had a son, he was what you would have wanted him to be.”  "My husband, CW3 Michael Hartwick, died while fulfilling his life dream of flying the AH-64 Apache helicopter while serving his country. He was a true patriot," said his wife Kerri.

CW3 Hartwick is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

SFC JAMES ROBERT "JR" STRIGHT 

23 October 2009

Sergeant First Class James R. Stright, 29, died in the early morning hours of October 23, 2009. He was aboard an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter when it crashed off the coast of Virginia during a training mission on October 22, 2009.

SFC Stright was born on February 18, 1980. He was a native of Libby, Montana, and volunteered for Army service in June 1998. Following Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, Virginia, Sergeant First Class Stright served with 57th Air Medical Ambulance Company at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as both a helicopter mechanic and Crew Chief. In June of 2002, SFC Stright was then assigned to the 377th Air Ambulance Company at Camp Humphreys, Korea as the Company Standardization Instructor. In 2003, he successfully assessed with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) as a helicopter mechanic. SFC Stright arrived to D Company, 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR (A), at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in December 2003 where he served as a Crew Chief, Section Sergeant and Product Control NCO. In September of 2009, SFC Stright was assigned as a Platoon Sergeant to C Company, 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR (A), at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.

SFC Stright is a combat veteran with 16 deployments, all in support of the Global War on Terrorism. His military training includes the Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course, Warrior Leader Course, Special Operations Training Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, the Aviation Accident Prevention Course, the Airload Planners Course, the Ground Safety Management Course, Combatives Level 1, Airborne School and Air Assault School.

SFC Stright’s awards and decorations include six Air Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, three Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign

SSG NIKOLAS A. MUELLER

26 October 2009

Army Staff Sergeant Nikolas A. Mueller died on October 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. Six other servicemen were also killed in the crash. Their units were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sergeant Mueller was twenty-six years old.

He was a combat veteran with three deployments, all in support of the Operation Enduring Freedom. His military training includes the Warrior Leader Course, Special Operations Training Course, and the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course.

His awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Basic Aviation Badge.

The first confirmation about the crash was from Nikolas’s family in Little Chute, Wisconsin. His family confirmed he died in the crash a few days before the Department of Defense released information and the names of those lost. Nikolas’s mother noted that her son wanted to be a pilot even when he was a young boy. She said he joined the Army immediately after graduating from high school. This was his third deployment. She also noted that Nikolas was planning on coming home for Christmas that year, 2009. It would have been the first time in three years.

Nikolas Mueller is survived by his parents, Larry and Sharon Mueller, of Little Chute, Wisconsin. – NIGHT STALKERS DON’T QUIT –

MAJ CLAYTON O CARPENTER

15 January 2014

Major Clayton Carpenter, 30, died January 15, 2014, when his MH-60M Blackhawk helicopter crashed at Hunter Army Airfield, GA, during a night training mission. MAJ Clayton Carpenter was born 12 August 1983 in Brooklyn, New York. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in May 2005 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. After graduating, he was assigned to Fort Rucker, Alabama, for Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training.After completion of the Aviation Officer Basic Course, he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, and deployed in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) 06-08. He further served as a Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) Commander and deployed in support of OIF 09-11. He arrived at the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) in September 2012 for Officer Green Platoon and served as an MH-60M Platoon Leader in C Company, 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR(A).

MAJ Carpenter’s military education includes the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course; Aviation Officer Basic Course; UH60 Flight School XXI; Aviation Captains Career Course; Air Assault School; Aviation Tactical Operations Officer Course; Aviation Safety Officer Course; UH-60M Aircraft Qualification Course; Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Course (Level C); Combatives Level-I Course; and Officer Green Platoon.

MAJ Carpenter’s awards and decorationsinclude the Meritorious Service Medal (w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Medal (w/Numeral 2), Army Commendation Medal (w/Valor Device), Meritorious Unit Citation (w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster), National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal (w/3 Bronze Service Stars), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (w/Numeral 3), the NATO Medal, the Air Assault Badge and Army Aviator Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Senior Army Aviator Badge.

MAJ Carpenter is survived by his father, Paul; his mother, Colette and brother, Chris.