Spc. Amanda Pinson
Update: Burying Amanda
UPDATE: Sgt. Amanda Pinson
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Tikrit, Iraq, on Mar. 16, when a mortar round detonated.
Killed were:
Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson, 21, of St. Louis, Mo.
Spc. Carlos M. Gonzalez, 22, of Middletown, N.Y.Pinson and Gonzalez were assigned to the 101st Military Intelligence Detachment, 501st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Family members said Spc. Amanda Pinson, 21, was killed in a mortar attack on the base in Tikrit, Iraq, where she worked in intelligence. They said they couldn’t know exactly what her work entailed, but that it kept her on the base most of the time and, they had hoped, somewhat out of harm’s way. The military had not yet released information about her death Friday night.
Amanda Pinson, of south St. Louis County, was with the 101st Airborne Division and was based at Fort Campbell, Ky. She was proud of what she was doing, family members said.
Her mother, Chris Ehlen, said she talked her daughter out of joining the military once, but in the end, it was what she wanted to do.
“She loved being in the Army and she loved doing her job,” said Ehlen, of south St. Louis County. “She felt like her work saved American lives. That’s what she did.”
Regina Pinson, her stepmother, remembers watching coverage of Cindy Sheehan’s protests against the war with her stepdaughter.
“Please don’t do something like that if something happens to me,” she remembers Amanda Pinson saying. “This is what I want to do.”
Table of contents for Amanda Pinson
This entry was posted on Monday, March 20th, 2006 at 5:05 pm and is filed under Military, Amanda Pinson, War on Terror, Iraq, Military, War on Terror. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I only had the pleasure of meeting Amanda this past year in 2005 through a mutual friend and then running into her once more before she left. I instantly loved her. She was so full of life and so proud of what she was doing. My deepest sympathies to those who know and love her and to those who will never have the opportunity to meet the woman who immediately touches your heart. The world has truly lost a remarkable person. I am honored to have the memory of her that I do and will remember her always.
News of SGT Pinson’s death reached us quickly in the 3rd Infantry Division in Georgia. Several of us worked with SGT Pinson in Tikrit, and we were all deeply saddened and surprised to hear that something like this could happen to someone so seemingly safe from harm and also such an amazing person all around. Amanda’s tenacity for life was evident in everything she did. She put great personal stake in solving problems to make life safer for her comrades in Iraq. Her positivity and charisma comforted those around her, and brought smiles to even the most hardened war faces. God has truly chosen to keep the best for Himself.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has done anything these past days to make this any easier on all of us. Your kind words mean alot. And I am going to miss Mandy so much and so will every one else. I really just want to say thank you to everyone. MOM, DAD, BRYAN, if you see this I love you guys lots.
LOVE CONNIE
Amanda Pinson was one of the nicest and sweetest people one could ever hope to meet. A person true of heart and of character who was very intelligent and touched a lot of people. I will always remember her fondly.
I would like to just pass on some comments about this American Hero and Soldier. She was a kind person that everyone in this organization loved. She was always there to give me that first smile at shift change, ask how things were going, and ask how I was doing. She always shared pictures of loved ones back home and was so proud of her family. I will never forget her smile, her kindness, and love for her country. She made an everlasting impression on all soldiers she worked with. This everlasting impression is Army wide which is evident by all the individual calls and emails sent to express their sympathy.
She was deeply concerned for soldiers’ safety and news of soldiers that had been injured or worse only increased her energy for her job. She was inexhaustible in her work. She was an expert and I continually called on her to take on some of the hardest work due to her abilities and love for her job. Due to this Hero’s skills and hard work, soldiers’ lives were saved. Soldiers in this Division and the ones that worked with her will benefit from her work for a long time.
I was glad to hear the soldiers from G2 at Fort Campbell were there to give SGT Pinson the respect and honor that everyone here was praying for. The family will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. I will always remember SGT Pinson as a true friend, a superb leader, and most of all a Hero. She will never be forgotten.
CW2 David Moreland
G2/ACE
I didn’t know Amanda personally, I went to school with her and my sister played sports with her…and from what she tells me Amanda was a great person.
Amanda u will deeply be missed and thanx for fighting for our country
I too, along with the rest of the Rear G2 and the G2 soldiers still serving down range are deeply saddened by the loss of such a wonderful and touching person. It was a great honor to escort Amanda home to her family and loved ones. It was a difficult journey for reasons that only a G2 soldier who severed with her can understand. Many of us are still at a loss for words. I can truthfully say that she was escorted with the utmost of respect and dignity along her final journey.
I know she was watching and I know she accepted all of the support her family received from the community and the military. On the day of the service it was quite chilly and cloudy, but if you noticed, when the lid was placed over the site, the clouds cleared and the sun came out and warmed up almost instantly. I took that as a sign from above that Amanda is okay and that she wanted to spread the warmth of her heart to all who attended.
V/R
CW3 Jim Black
G2/ACE
101st ABN DIV
We are deeply saddened for the loss of SGT Amanda Pinson. We are all still in shock. Amanda was a great soldier and an even better person. We all know where Amanda must be now. Amanda was already an angel and loved by all who knew her. We who knew Amanda are all devastated and heartbroken and she will never be forgotten.
I knew Amanda personally. Amanda was a 98C Signals Intelligence Analyst. Although I am the Senior 98C working in the same unit Amanda did not work directly for me yet I still often spoke with her and she often came to me for advice on many different matters. Although all of our soldiers are precious to us Amanda was like a daughter to me and she will always be loved and remain in my thoughts, prayers, and in my heart. I will forever miss hearing Amanda calling me Old Man.
Amanda will always be loved and missed by those who knew her. Amanda was always funny, full of laughter, and quite the jokester too. She always made everyone’s day a better day. Amanda set the example for all to live by. If only all people conducted themselves in this manner we would all be in a better place. We who knew Amanda are all truly blessed to have known her and all hope to one day be good enough to see her again.
I along with many other Rear Detachment soldiers from Amanda’s unit went to St. Louis to meet Amanda’s family, pay our respects, and attend her funeral. It was the saddest moment in my life yet the most rewarding. The attendence by those who loved and knew her and the support of the local community were truly amazing and emotional. I would like to thank Amanda’s family for their hospitality and their graciousness that they showed us in their own time of mourning. They are truly wonderful loving people just like Amanda.
V/R,
Stuart K. Bailey
101st ABN DIV
our heart
our hero
our sweet SGT. AMANDA PINSON
i was going to tell you about just how special mande was but on sat. 3/25/2006 you all told me! she would of been so proud of you all for your patriotism and your love. i’m so bleesed to have had her in my life. her smile was always contiguous.my heart will always be so ful of pride for her not only for being SGT.AMANDA PINSON but for being the best person any one could ever have been or will be. she was my hero before she was SGT. AMANDA PINSON and will always be
i will always love you mandy pants
aunt joyce