|
Walker soldier dies in combat
Associated Press
A member of the Minnesota Army National Guard from Walker died in combat Saturday in Afghanistan, one of two Minnesota soldiers killed in combat in the last week.
Minnesota National Guard Spc. George W. Cauley, 24, died after being wounded when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Helmand province, according to the Defense Department.
Maj. Patricia Baker, a spokeswoman for the Guard, said few details about Cauley's death were immediately available Monday evening. She said Cauley's company mobilized for training June 16 and later arrived in Afghanistan to begin its tour based out of Helmand province.
Marine Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor, 27, was killed Friday by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol in Helmand province, said his father, Clifford Taylor, of rural Two Harbors.
Clifford Taylor said his son was born in Duluth, grew up in Bovey and graduated with honors in 2000 from Greenway High School in Coleraine, where he was a band member and manager for the hockey team.
Aaron Taylor had been in the Marines for eight years and had been in Afghanistan for about six weeks. He also had served a tour of duty in Iraq, his father said. They last spoke a week ago.
"He was telling me that they were doing good things over there," Clifford Taylor said. "They had built some schools. He was new to the unit when he came on board, but they say that everybody just liked him and they were all glad to work with him. And he was very proud to be serving with this group of men. They all knew their jobs and they were professionals all the way."
Aaron Taylor was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and had recently bought a house in Temecula, Calif., near the base, his father said.
"He had spontaneous wit and was a very caring individual," Clifford Taylor said of his son. "Very intelligent. His goal was to be promoted to gunnery sergeant before his third enlistment. I think he would have made it. It's tough to do."
Aaron Taylor's body was flown to Dover Air Force base in Delaware on Monday. Funeral arrangements were pending.
Taylor and Cauley were the 86th and 87th people with strong Minnesota ties to have died in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
To Subscribe to the Brainerd Dispatch, Click Here.
Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Brainerd Dispatch. Please read our posting rules in the terms of service policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the triangle alert icon.
|
|
Top Commented Articles
