Army Cpl. Albert Bitton

Died February 20, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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20, of Chicago; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on Feb. 19. Also killed were Sgt. Conrad Alvarez and Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr.

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3 Campbell soldiers killed in IED attack

The (Clarksville) Leaf-Chronicle

Three 101st Airborne Division soldiers died Wednesday of wounds suffered when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday.

Killed were Sgt. Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas; Cpl. Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago; and Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr., 21, of Glen Burnie, Md.

All three were with 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, according to a news release from Fort Campbell.

Alvarez was an infantryman assigned to A Company. He entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2005, according to the news release.

He is survived by his wife, Maria, of Oak Grove, Ky.; daughters, Celeste and Alyssa, of Sweetwater, Texas; father, Arthur; and mother, Belinda Alcala, of Big Spring, Texas.

Alvarez’s awards and decorations include Army Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Combat Infantry Badge; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.

Bitton was a medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company. He entered the Army in November 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2006, according to the news release.

He is survived by his wife, Melissa Handelman, of Buffalo Grove, Ill.; and parents, Elie and Sylvia, of Chicago.

Bitton’s awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.

Matlock was an infantryman assigned to A Company. He entered the Army in August 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in December 2006, according to the news release.

He is survived by his wife, Breon, and son, Byron, of Severna Park, Md.; father, Micheal Matlock Sr., of Vansboro, N.C.; and mother, Sheena Douglas, of Glen Burnie, Md.

Matlock’s awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.

A memorial service will be held in Iraq. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony on the second Wednesday of each month.

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Mourners remember soldier’s humor, smile

The Associated Press

Max Saltzman, one of Albert Bitton’s high school friends, remembered Bitton as a kid who was scrawny but tough, after having to deal with anti-Semitism in the public school system.

“He dealt with grief for being Jewish. But he was proud,” Saltzman said. “He was really tough inside and out.”

Bitton, 20, of Chicago, was killed Feb. 20 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky.

“Albert’s smile was infectious,” said Rabbi Leonard Matanky, who officiated at Albert’s bar mitzvah. “His interactions with others drew them in. In recent months when he began to understand the reality of the dangers in Iraq, it was his smile that convinced his parents he was OK.”

Bitton graduated in 2005 from Ida Crown Jewish Academy, where he was on the school wrestling team and enjoyed painting, drawing and video games.

“He was an amazing artist. He was a funny boy,” said his wife, Melissa Handelman, who married Bitton in August. “He was nice to everyone. Everyone in his high school remembered him as being one of the sweetest boys there.”

“He always had a very sweet smile,” echoed Rabbi Leonard Matanky.