Afghan war's deadliest month takes heavy toll at Fort Lewis

Fort Lewis soldier Sgt. Leslie Hill said he's attended two memorial services in recent weeks and plans to be at another Tuesday as he and others on the post come to terms with losing 26 soldiers in Afghanistan in less than three months.

"I just lost one of my buddies," Hill said. "It's been rough on everyone."

This month has been the deadliest for U.S. troops since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001. Fort Lewis has been hit particularly hard. The post held a private candlelight vigil Thursday night for the families, friends and battalion members of the eight Fort Lewis soldiers killed Tuesday.

Seven were killed when enemy forces in the Arghandab Valley attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. The soldiers, whose names were released by the Department of Defense on Thursday, came from across the country and were 22 to 29 years old.

One of the men, Pfc. Christopher Ian Walz, 25, was from Vancouver, Wash. Walz's aunt said he'd been excited about being stationed at Fort Lewis because it was close to home. He had been in Afghanistan for about 10 days.

An eighth Fort Lewis soldier also was killed Tuesday in a separate attack.

Fort Lewis chaplain Ronaldo Silva said he's been talking with grieving family members. Before the names of the dead were released, he'd also been fielding calls from the families of other soldiers stationed in Afghanistan who wanted to know if their loved ones were OK.

Silva said the soldiers at the post have been allowed to take time off, if needed, to deal with the deaths and have had access to chaplains, family-life consultants and other resources.

"People have been grieving the last couple of weeks. It's been very difficult," Silva said. "At the same time, when I'm talking to soldiers who are getting ready to deploy, they understand they signed their names on the dotted lines. They understand the risks."

Joe Piek, a Fort Lewis spokesman, said the mood at the post is reminiscent of spring 2007, when a large number of Fort Lewis soldiers were killed in Iraq. There's been an outpouring of support, Piek said, not only from families and soldiers at the post but also from local churches, political leaders and civilians in the surrounding communities.

On Wednesday, President Obama personally offered condolences to Walz's family at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Walz's aunt, Carla Burns, told The Columbian newspaper that Walz had been thrilled last year when Obama won the election.

Family members said Walz played football at Hudson's Bay High School, where he graduated in 2002, and worked for years in the produce section of the WinCo store in Hazel Dell. Burns said part of the reason Walz joined the Army was to pay for college. She said he was excited about getting deployed to Afghanistan.

"He was a sweet kid, always had a smile on his face," Burns said. "He would do anything for anybody to help them."

The eight deaths bring to at least 55 the number of American soldiers killed this month in Afghanistan. The previous monthly high was 51, reached in August during the first round of the Afghanistan presidential election.

The soldiers killed in the Arghandab Valley all were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment of the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. In addition to Walz, those killed were:

• Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, of New York City. Gonzalez, who enlisted in 2002, previously had been deployed twice to Iraq.

• Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, 24, of Alamo, Texas. He also enlisted in 2002 and had been deployed twice to Iraq.

• Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, of Terre Haute, Ind. He enlisted in 2005.

• Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, 27, of Plattsburg, Mo. He enlisted in 2004 and had previously been deployed to Afghanistan.

• Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson, 24, of Broussard, La. He enlisted in 2006.

• Spc. Jared D. Stanker, 22, of Evergreen Park, Ill. He also enlisted in 2006.

Also killed Tuesday was Pfc. Brian Bates, 20, of New Orleans. His vehicle also was hit by a roadside bomb. The New Orleans Military News reported that Bates is survived by a wife and two children, ages 2 and 1.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com. Information from The (Vancouver) Columbian, The Associated Press and the Department of Defense is included in this report.