Army Pfc. Jerimiah J. Veitch

Died June 21, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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21, of Dibble, Okla.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died June 21 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck with a rocket-propelled grenade.

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Death of Dibble soldier marks fourth in deadly week

The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — An Army soldier from Dibble was killed in Iraq, the fourth Oklahoma soldier to die in combat last week.

Army Pfc. Jerimiah Veitch, 21, died June 21 when the vehicle he was riding in was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade just outside of Baghdad, Veitch’s sister Amanda Testerman said June 25.

Veitch had only been in Iraq for two months following a two-week visit with family and friends in his hometown of Dibble, Testerman said. He had served six months in Iraq before that.

“If you needed anything, he was there,” Testerman said.

Friends and family gathered June 24 for a candle light vigil in Veitch’s honor at Dibble High School, where he graduated and where he made the grades that kept him on the football field and in the weight room.

“He did great in school,” Testerman said. “He did the school part so he could play football. He always gave 100 percent.”

Veitch moved to Dibble with his mother Valorie Sanchez and stepfather Tony Sanchez from San Jose, Calif., before high school.

His death marks the fourth Oklahoma soldier to die in Iraq in less than one week. Pfc. Thomas Ray Leemhuis, 23, of Anadarko, and Sgt. Ryan M. Wood, 22, of Oklahoma City, both were killed June 21 in Baghdad. Spc. Derek Calhoun, 23, of Oklahoma City, died June 23 near Baghdad.

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Family remembers Oklahoma soldier killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

Army Pfc. Jerimiah J. Veitch’s stepfather, Tony Sanchez, went to all his stepson’s football games and weightlifting competitions.

Veitch one year took second place in a state weightlifting competition, lifting more than 1,000 pounds in three lifts in the 132-pound weight class. More than 400 pounds of the total he lifted with a single deadlift.

“He is more of a son than anyone could ask for,” Sanchez said.

“He was my partner. He was the heart of our family.”

Veitch, 21, of Dibble, Okla., was killed June 21 in Baghdad when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.

Veitch liked to live on the edge, which led to his joining the Army. He was a bit rowdy, but “He always said ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘sir,’ ” said his sister, Amanda Testerman.

He had plans to return home after the Army, buy some land and build a house. He planned to go to work for his stepfather in the roofing business.

He also is survived by his mother, Valorie Sanchez.

“Everyone we talked to said he was an exceptional young man honest with you, the kind of person who always shot straight from the hip,” she said.

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Funeral services held for two soldiers who died in Iraq

The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — Sgt. Ryan M. Wood, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, was remembered in funeral services July 2 as a strong leader who showed no fear but also had a soft side.

Candice Bunce, his sister, said he was a hopeless romantic who once wrote a love note and brought a rose to school for a kindergarten crush.

Wood’s service was held at Church of the Servant in northwest Oklahoma City.

Wood, 22, signed up for the Army after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“The war gave Ryan a mission,” Bunce said. “He accomplished his mission and left this world with dignity and honor.”

Wood and Pfc. Thomas Ray Leemhuis of Binger were among five soldiers who died June 21 after the Bradley Fighting Vehicle they were riding in hit a roadside bomb in northeast Baghdad. A funeral service for Leemhuis was held June 30 at Binger-Oney High School.

It was Wood’s second tour in Iraq.

Wood’s uncle, Army Maj. John Litchfield, said his nephew had a noble spirit that his men could sense. He spent 607 days in combat.

“Ryan is a warrior,” Bunce said. “Ryan is a survivor. Ryan is our American hero.”

This was one of two funerals held July 2 for Oklahoma soldiers who died in Iraq.

Army Pfc. Jerimiah J. Veitch, 21, of Dibble, died in a separate attack in Baghdad. His funeral was held Monday at the Union Hill Baptist Church at Dibble.

Veitch was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colo.

Pfc. David Rosas, who served with him, said in a statement read at the funeral that Veitch was a good friend and “the type of person you could trust with your life, the kind of person you don’t meet every day.”

Lt. Col. Steven Michael said in another statement that Veitch was only 5 foot 4 inches, but was “strong as an ox, tenacious.”

“Jerimiah did what he wanted to do serve his country and his God,” said Rev. Edward Stewart, who presided over the ceremony.