Army Sgt. 1st Class James J. Stoddard Jr.

Died September 30, 2005 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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29, of Crofton, Md.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, N.C., killed Sept. 30 when his vehicle accidentally rolled over in Afghanistan.

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Paratrooper killed in Afghanistan loved his family and his soldiers

Associated Press

BALTIMORE — A soldier from Crofton was killed in Afghanistan last week when his vehicle accidentally rolled over, the Pentagon said Monday.

Sgt. 1st Class James J. Stoddard Jr., 29, died Friday, the Department of Defense said. The DOD gave no further details about the incident.

Stoddard was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, N.C.

“He was one of the kindest, most loving boys you could ever meet,” his mother, Kathleen Stoddard said Monday night from her home in Crofton.

James Stoddard graduated in 1994 from Arundel High School, where he played varsity football and baseball. He attended Anne Arundel Community College and Salisbury State University before enlisting in the Army when he was 21, his mother said.

“He was detail-oriented and organized,” Kathleen Stoddard said. “The Army was the absolutely perfect place for him.”

This was Stoddard’s second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He had also served in Iraq, his mother said.

Stoddard’s wife, Amy, and their three children, ages 13, 4, and 1, live with Kathleen Stoddard.

Sergeant Stoddard also has two sisters. His father, James John Stoddard Sr., died last year. The elder Stoddard was a Vietnam-era Army veteran, Kathleen Stoddard said, and she has a brother, niece and nephew currently serving in the armed forces.

“We are shocked and stunned, but we are an extremely proud, military-oriented family.”

Kathleen Stoddard said the family last heard from James Stoddard Jr. on Sept. 25, when he said he was departing on a mission. He had reenlisted in the Army earlier this year.

“He loved leading his men,” she said. “He made sure all the soldiers (in his unit) came home on two weeks tours before he did. He was a good, caring officer.

“He loved his family and he loved his soldiers.”

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Md. soldier killed in Afghanistan

By Kasey Jones

The Associated Press

BALTIMORE — A soldier from Crofton was killed in Afghanistan last week when his vehicle accidentally rolled over, the Pentagon said Oct. 3.

Sgt. 1st Class James J. Stoddard Jr., 29, died Sept. 30, the Department of Defense said. The DOD gave no further details about the incident.

Stoddard was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, N.C.

“He was one of the kindest, most loving boys you could ever meet,” his mother, Kathleen Stoddard said Monday night from her home in Crofton.

James Stoddard graduated in 1994 from Arundel High School, where he played varsity football and baseball. He attended Anne Arundel Community College and Salisbury State University before enlisting in the Army when he was 21, his mother said.

“He was detail-oriented and organized,” Kathleen Stoddard said. “The Army was the absolutely perfect place for him.”

This was Stoddard’s second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He had also served in Iraq, his mother said.

Stoddard’s wife, Amy, and their three children, ages 13, 4, and 1, live with Kathleen Stoddard.

Sergeant Stoddard also has two sisters. His father, James John Stoddard Sr., died last year. The elder Stoddard was a Vietnam-era Army veteran, Kathleen Stoddard said, and she has a brother, niece and nephew currently serving in the armed forces.

“We are shocked and stunned, but we are an extremely proud, military-oriented family.”

Kathleen Stoddard said the family last heard from James Stoddard Jr. on Sept. 25, when he said he was departing on a mission. He had reenlisted in the Army earlier this year.

“He loved leading his men,” she said. “He made sure all the soldiers (in his unit) came home on two weeks tours before he did. He was a good, caring officer.

“He loved his family and he loved his soldiers.”

Sergeant Stoddard’s funeral will be conducted Friday at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph’s Church in Odenton. Burial will be at 2 p.m. at Arlington National Cemetery.