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Stryker families share hope, grief on Web forum

May- 1-2004 » Filed Under: Announcements

I know I've said it before, but I continue to be amazed by the evolution of this site. Visitors, especially those that contribute regularly on our bulletin board, have created a very special support community. Other people have noticed. I feel very fortunate to be associated with all of you.

[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune

When Spc. Michael Merila was killed in Iraq in February, relatives and friends of Stryker brigade soldiers grieved online. One message in particular stood out.

"During the long few months he's been deployed, I've already experienced 2 near misses and it never gets any easier trying to relax," wrote a young woman who called herself JakesKatie.

She went on to offer heartfelt condolences to those who weren't so fortunate:

"Although we cannot physically hold them in our arms, they will forever be held in our hearts. They are resting, out of harms way. May peace be with your souls, and the remembrance of happier times, dry your tears."

A little more than two months later, JakesKatie would grieve for her own loss - after breaking the news of it to her network of online friends.

The death Wednesday of Spc. Jacob Herring of Kirkland hit the Strykernews.com people harder than the rest. They wrote their condolences for the other 10 Stryker soldiers to die since the brigade left Fort Lewis last November.

Another article accompanies this one.

[Link to Full Article]
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune

The death of Spc. Jacob Herring in Iraq on Wednesday hit the online community at Strykernews.com especially hard. He was the first Stryker soldier to die whose loved ones were regular contributors to the site's busy bulletin boards.

Wednesday 11:30 p.m.

Herring's friend, known online as JakesKatie, broke the news in a reply to other site users who were reporting that their loved ones had been injured.

Our thoughts and prayers are still with all of the families and friends that have lost loved ones.


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