Psalms23
08-15-2008, 04:37 PM
Hey everyone. This is a blog that was wrote today from from a old Camp Tecumseh family. Jason Sims was full time employee a few years ago. His wife Natalie wrote this blog about her brother, Spencer. He also worked at Camp T a few years ago as a councilor... If you could please pray for Spencer and all of the families involved. Thanks and God Bless!
From Natalie's blog (blogger.com):
Some reading this may not know that one of my brothers, Spencer, is in Iraq right now.Sadly on Monday (August 4th one of his comrades was killed in an attack on their vehicle. The man's name was Jon Menke. I have imagined over the past few days what if that had been Spencer(his vehicle was not attacked). One thing among many was the thought that people knowing a little about him and what happened might bring a small amount of comfort. Please take the time to read this article, and perhaps post a comment to his family via the link to the article. Also there's a link to another article about the gunner who was badly injured in the same vehicle. Offer up a prayer of comfort for Jon's family and the men in his squad who are missing him.
Jon Menke, a 2005 graduate of Madison Consolidated High School whose voice wowed audiences attending "Beauty and the Beast" his senior year, was killed in Iraq on Monday.Details have not been released by the military.
His father, Dan Menke of Madison, said this morning that he was notified Monday of his son's death.
Menke joined the Indiana National Guard on March 15, 2004, during his junior year in high school. During basic training he discovered he had a booming voice, and he also used his voice when the guys would sing in their barracks during their off-duty time.
Menke played football and was on the track team at MCHS. As a senior, he was on the 400-meter relay team that qualified for the regional meet. After having hand surgery his junior year he did not go out for football his senior year. Looking for something to occupy his time, he went to tryouts for the school's production of the play "Alice in Wonderland," thinking he would do stage work or build sets. Instead, he was given the part of the Mad Hatter.
Friends encouraged him to try out for "Beauty and the Beast," and he got the role of Gaston, a singing part. It was his first singing role of any kind, anywhere. His performance stunned all who knew him, including his family.
"He was perfect for that role," MCHS teacher Aaron Kelsey, co-director of the musical, said this morning.
Retired MCHS choir director Lynn Maricle, co-director of the musical, reacting to news of Menke's death, said, "It really is a gray day. He was such a great kid. What a wonderful person."
Menke was an honor roll student, and also won the art department's sculpture award his senior year.
Posted: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Article comment by: Bruce Edgington
Jon served his country well. My son was one of his team members in the squad. They sort of picked each other as being someone the other could count on while carrying out dangerous assignments. They bunked together, they laughed together and they rode together in the same vehicle. Except this day. My son always drove the lead vehicle with Jon and another teamate. I am unsure if it was mechanical difficulties or something else but my son's vehicle was not in the lead. John was assigned to another vehicle with the Captain. That vehicle on this day took the lead position where my son would have been. The explosion ripped through the vehicle as we have seen so many times before. My son being in the second vehicle pulled it into a defensive position and he along with others raced to pull their comrades from the mangled wreck. A secondary bomb intended to explode and kill the rescuers failed to go off. They have all felt the gut wrenching pain from the loss of a comrade that can only be known by soldiers. As we mourn for Jon let us not forget the others and keep them in our thoughts and prayers. I believe it was General Patton that said the only difference between a coward and a hero is that the hero does not let fear take control. Jon and all our faithful sons and daughters are heros. God Bless them all. Submitted by the father of Sgt. Spencer Edgington, 38th MP.
http://madisoncourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=178&SubsectionID=961&ArticleID=45563&TM=31657.28
Here's another article from the AP that gives an idea of where this happened on the map.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkx-3oYeFwuWKCusr2jrojs98w8wD92BD9480
Here's the article about the gunner who survived.
http://www.pharostribune.com/local/local_story_220101349.html
From Natalie's blog (blogger.com):
Some reading this may not know that one of my brothers, Spencer, is in Iraq right now.Sadly on Monday (August 4th one of his comrades was killed in an attack on their vehicle. The man's name was Jon Menke. I have imagined over the past few days what if that had been Spencer(his vehicle was not attacked). One thing among many was the thought that people knowing a little about him and what happened might bring a small amount of comfort. Please take the time to read this article, and perhaps post a comment to his family via the link to the article. Also there's a link to another article about the gunner who was badly injured in the same vehicle. Offer up a prayer of comfort for Jon's family and the men in his squad who are missing him.
Jon Menke, a 2005 graduate of Madison Consolidated High School whose voice wowed audiences attending "Beauty and the Beast" his senior year, was killed in Iraq on Monday.Details have not been released by the military.
His father, Dan Menke of Madison, said this morning that he was notified Monday of his son's death.
Menke joined the Indiana National Guard on March 15, 2004, during his junior year in high school. During basic training he discovered he had a booming voice, and he also used his voice when the guys would sing in their barracks during their off-duty time.
Menke played football and was on the track team at MCHS. As a senior, he was on the 400-meter relay team that qualified for the regional meet. After having hand surgery his junior year he did not go out for football his senior year. Looking for something to occupy his time, he went to tryouts for the school's production of the play "Alice in Wonderland," thinking he would do stage work or build sets. Instead, he was given the part of the Mad Hatter.
Friends encouraged him to try out for "Beauty and the Beast," and he got the role of Gaston, a singing part. It was his first singing role of any kind, anywhere. His performance stunned all who knew him, including his family.
"He was perfect for that role," MCHS teacher Aaron Kelsey, co-director of the musical, said this morning.
Retired MCHS choir director Lynn Maricle, co-director of the musical, reacting to news of Menke's death, said, "It really is a gray day. He was such a great kid. What a wonderful person."
Menke was an honor roll student, and also won the art department's sculpture award his senior year.
Posted: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Article comment by: Bruce Edgington
Jon served his country well. My son was one of his team members in the squad. They sort of picked each other as being someone the other could count on while carrying out dangerous assignments. They bunked together, they laughed together and they rode together in the same vehicle. Except this day. My son always drove the lead vehicle with Jon and another teamate. I am unsure if it was mechanical difficulties or something else but my son's vehicle was not in the lead. John was assigned to another vehicle with the Captain. That vehicle on this day took the lead position where my son would have been. The explosion ripped through the vehicle as we have seen so many times before. My son being in the second vehicle pulled it into a defensive position and he along with others raced to pull their comrades from the mangled wreck. A secondary bomb intended to explode and kill the rescuers failed to go off. They have all felt the gut wrenching pain from the loss of a comrade that can only be known by soldiers. As we mourn for Jon let us not forget the others and keep them in our thoughts and prayers. I believe it was General Patton that said the only difference between a coward and a hero is that the hero does not let fear take control. Jon and all our faithful sons and daughters are heros. God Bless them all. Submitted by the father of Sgt. Spencer Edgington, 38th MP.
http://madisoncourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=178&SubsectionID=961&ArticleID=45563&TM=31657.28
Here's another article from the AP that gives an idea of where this happened on the map.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkx-3oYeFwuWKCusr2jrojs98w8wD92BD9480
Here's the article about the gunner who survived.
http://www.pharostribune.com/local/local_story_220101349.html