Defense Department:

Lt. Christopher E. Mosko, 28, of Pittsford, N.Y., died April 26 while conducting combat operations in Nawa district, Ghazni province, Afghanistan. Mosko was assigned as a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Platoon Commander to Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, Afghanistan. Mosko was stationed at EOD Mobile Unit 3, San Diego, Calif.

Lt. Mosko lived in Pittsford, a suburb of Rochester, NY, for several years. His father, on his blog, has corrected some of the media reporting.
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John Donovan’s father has died. Please join us in honoring this heroic soldier, and beloved father. Our prayers and sympathies go out to John and his family.

The Auld Soldier, Colonel Timothy Donovan, FA, Silver Star, DFC, Purple Heart w/6OLC, Combat Infantry Badge, veteran of two wars, one hell of a Rotarian and my father, signaled End of Mission, Close Station, March Order, and struck his colors at 1215 this afternoon.

Memorial service is Monday at 2:30 PM in Columbia, interment will be at Leavenworth National Cemetery at a date to be determined.

His passage was peaceful, thanks be to God, and he was surrounded by his family.

The Department of Defense has confirmed what thousands of people on Twitter already knew. Aaron Fairbairn gave his life in the service of his country on July 4, 2009.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died July 4 at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked the outpost using small arms and indirect fires. They were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Killed were:

• Pfc. Justin A. Casillas, 19, of Dunnigan, Calif.
• Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn, 20, of Aberdeen, Wash.

DoD

“At first I didn’t believe it,” said Beau Beck, Fairbairn’s oldest brother, who learned about his brother’s death while he was coaching a Little League team.

“I talked to Aaron probably 12 hours prior to that,” Beck said from Dover. “The first thing that rushed to my mind is that he’s so young and such a good kid.”

His stepfather described him as joyous, honest and dependable, the kid everyone knew first as the paperboy, then as a local lot attendant or the guy who worked at Papa Murphy’s Pizza.

Fairbairn, a graduate of Aberdeen’s Weatherwax High, was an off-road enthusiast who loved riding dirt bikes and four-wheeling in his truck. He hadn’t yet decided what he wanted to do after the service but leaned toward mechanics.

Seattle Times

UPDATE:

Two International Security Assistance Force service members were killed in an improvised explosive device strike that occurred in eastern Afghanistan this morning.

“On this sad day, we continue with our mission as we remember the lives of our fallen soldiers. The true commitment and the determination of these fine soldiers are helping to make a difference in the lives of the people of Afghanistan” said Brig. Gen. Éric Tremblay, ISAF spokesperson.

“We remain resolute in meeting our obligation towards the citizens of Afghanistan and we will carry on fighting the enemies of this country to improve security and allow progress to take place for all Afghans.”

It is ISAF policy not to release the nationality of any casualty prior to the relevant national authority doing so.

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It is about 1 a.m. here along America’s North Shore. A few short hours ago, word began to spread on Twitter about the loss of two of our finest in Afghanistan.

David M. Masters posted the following about 6 p.m. EDT:

# I’m so sorry, Aaron… You are MY hero… I love you… #thankyouaaron 25 minutes ago from web

Shelley, Beau and Sascha are enroute to Dover to meet Aaron’s body, given in service this Independence Day. I love you, Aaron. about 2 hours ago from web

That you, @BobBurg. Please spread the word, “Thank you, Aaron,” for making the ultimate sacrifice this Independence Day. about 6 hours ago from web

I’d like to see “Thank you, Aaron,” show up on the Trending Topics for giving his life on Independence Day in Afghanistan. about 7 hours ago from web

On Independence Day, a few hours ago, they killed my son, Aaron in Afghanistan. about 7 hours ago from web

Killing my son, Aaron and the Officer. about 7 hours ago from web

When a suicide bomber, driving a truck breached the perimiter and pushed the button… about 7 hours ago from web

He was minding his own business BS-ing with an Officer on base in Afghanistan… about 7 hours ago from web

They killed my son, Aaron! about 7 hours ago from web

The hashtag #thankyouaaron is presently number 1 in Trending Topics. Hundreds, thousands of people are repeating the hashtag. Expressions of sorrow are being addressed to Mr. Masters and his family.

Here is the Masters family. It is a real “Brady Bunch”. The couple, David and Shelley, are weight loss and diet experts.

Aaron has a MySpace page. This is what he said about himself:

Hey my name is Aaron Fairbairn, I am 20 and in the army. I like to ride dirtbikes, go muddin and all of that kind of stuff. One of my favorite things to do is work on my truck when I break it. I have a yamaha yz 125 I haven’t got to ride it much because of work but i plan to go race it sometime.

The official announcement has not yet been released. It appears that Aaron was one of the two soldiers killed in a large Taliban attack on a base in Paktika. That is just a “maybe” until DoD releases the info. They hold it back a couple of days so that the families can all be notified.

Words cannot express the sorrow I feel at the loss of this young man. My thanks go to his family for his service and his sacrifice.

The Arkport Alumni newsletter arrived today with the sad news that my first love had died.

Andrea M. McHan, 50, of 8463 County Road 48, passed away Monday (May 18, 2009) at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
Born in Hornell, Jan. 21, 1959, the daughter of Walter and Iona Ames Jordan, she had resided in Arkport since 1962. She moved to Florida in 1997, returning to Arkport in October of 2008. She had attended Houghton College and received her master’s degrees in English and literature. She had been a substitute school teacher at the Portville Central School. She was a member of the Arkport United Methodist Church as well as the Apopka Calvery Nazarene Church in Apopka, Fla.
She was predeceased by her parents.
She is survived by her husband, Bill McHan of Arkport, whom she married April 14, 2001; one son, Walter Golden of Florida; three brothers, Dale Jordan of Arkport, Bruce (Wendy) Jordan of Arkport, and Dan Jordan of Corning; nieces and nephews.
The family will be present to receive friends from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Thursday at the Bender-Brown & Powers Funeral Home, 354 Canisteo St., Hornell, where funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, Rev. Steve Davis officiating. Burial will be in Arkport Cemetery.
Friends may make memorial contributions to: The United Cerebral Palsy Association of Rochester, Inc. 182 North St., Auburn, N.Y. 13021, or to the Hornell Area Humane Society, P.O. Box 533, Hornell, N.Y. 14843.

Hornell Evening Tribune