Army Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler

Died February 1, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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21, of East Liverpool, Ohio; assigned to the 57th Military Police Company, 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Pacific, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Feb. 1 in Baghdad of injuries suffered from a vehicular accident. Also killed was Pfc. David C. Armstrong.

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Soldier from eastern Ohio dies in Iraq

The Associated Press

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio — A soldier from eastern Ohio died in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding in overturned in a ravine in Baghdad, his family said Feb. 2.

Pfc. Tyler Butler, 21, a 2004 graduate of East Liverpool High School, died Feb. 1, according to what Army officials told his parents, Kenneth and Laura Butler.

Butler, a military police officer, was deployed to Iraq on June 26 and was to return on leave Sunday to meet his newborn son, Austin.

Butler’s wife, Ashley, lives in Traverse City, Mich., and the baby was born Jan. 23.

Laura Butler said her son was a dedicated soldier and a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

“He was a good man. He was a brave man and he was just so kindhearted,” she said. “He was an all-around good guy.”

Besides his parents, Butler is survived by sister Krista Boram and brother Jacob Fitch, who both live in Columbiana County.

At East Liverpool High School on Feb. 2, Principal Linda Henderson announced the news on the public address system.

She said Butler was remembered as a quiet student with a good sense of humor who was competitive in football and wrestling.

“He was a really great kid — quiet, laid back, a good participant,” teacher Dave Long said. “The kids who knew him were highly upset.”

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Two Schofield soldiers die in vehicle accident in Iraq

By William Cole

Honolulu Advertiser

The Pentagon today said two Schofield Barracks soldiers died in a vehicle accident Thursday in Baghdad, Iraq.

The soldiers were identified as Pfc. David C. Armstrong, 21, of Zanesville, Ohio; and Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler, 21, of East Liverpool, Ohio.

Both were assigned to the 57th Military Police Company, 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command with U.S. Army, Pacific. The incident is under investigation.

The Zanesville (Ohio) Times Recorder reported that the soldiers’ Humvee jumped a curb and rolled over into a canal. Steep-banked and narrow canal roads, which pose a danger for relatively wide Humvees, crisscross sections of Iraq near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

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Two Hawaii-based soldiers die in Iraq

The Associated Press

HONOLULU — Two Hawaii-based soldiers died in Iraq last week from non-combat-related causes, the military said Feb. 5.

Pfc. David C. Armstrong of Zanesville, Ohio, and Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler of East Liverpool, Ohio, died Feb. 1.

An Army news release said their deaths are under investigation. It gave no further details, and it was unclear if they were killed in the same incident.

Both soldiers were assigned to the 57th Military Police Company in the 8th Military Police Brigade. They were part of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, based at Schofield Barracks.

Armstrong’s family said the soldier was killed when the Humvee he was riding in overturned in a ravine. Dave Armstrong, his father, said the crash was still under investigation.

Scott Armstrong said his nephew played football and baseball in high school, practiced karate and loved to ride motorcycles and four-wheelers.

“David was a very special young man with a bright future ahead of him,” his uncle said. “Everyone is devastated by his loss. He is sadly missed by his entire family and many, many friends.”

Scott Armstrong said his nephew joined the military because it promised the education he needed to go into law enforcement. He loved animals, including his dogs Bo, Razor and Gage, and wanted to be a law enforcement canine handler.

The soldier left for Iraq in June. He was scheduled to return on leave this week and to finish his tour in June.

Scott Armstrong said the family had put off celebrating Christmas so they could include his nephew when he visited.

Butler, who like Armstrong was 21, was to meet his newborn son, Austin, when he returned on leave Sunday. The baby was born Jan. 23.

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Thousands gather to mourn Ohio soldier, sailor killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

The father of an Ohio soldier killed in Iraq held his 18-day-old grandson in his arms in front of his son’s casket. Another father who lost a son in the war said he and his wife almost expected their altruistic son’s fate.

Thousands stood in the cold Feb. 10 to line funeral processions for Army Cpl. Tyler Butler in East Liverpool, Ohio, and Navy Hospitalman Matthew Conte in Rootstown, Ohio.

Austin Butler was only nine days old Feb. 1, when Butler was killed when the Humvee he was riding in overturned in Baghdad. Butler, 21, was set to come home to eastern Ohio at the end of that week to meet his son. The military police officer was promoted from private first class after his death.

Conte, 22, died while his unit was fighting enemy forces in the province of Anbar, an insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad. The medic was a graduate of Field High School in Mogadore, and his parents now live in Jacksonville, Fla.

Butler’s wife, Ashley, a former member of the same military police company, now lives in Traverse City, Mich.

Butler’s friends still in Iraq wrote e-mails that were read at the service.

Pfc. Cordell Knapp said he didn’t like Butler at first but soon appreciated his forthrightness, humor and ability to see through people’s insecurities and hang-ups.

“Tyler called your bluff every time,” Knapp wrote. “It was nice to have someone tell the truth even if it wasn’t what we wanted to hear.”

Marine Cpl. Tyler Gaskill grew up with Butler in East Liverpool and said he thinks of Kenneth and Laura Butler as “second parents.”

“I love them and wish that I could be there with them to help them through this,” he wrote.

At Conte’s funeral, family and friends passed a microphone to talk about his huge smile and zest for life.

An aunt recalled how awestruck he was when he first saw New York City. An uncle talked about how he loved to fish in a pond near the family hunting camp. His babysitter remembered the young Matthew leaping from his school bus into her arms.

His father, Gale, fought tears as he said he and his wife, Lureen, “kind of expected this, unfortunately.”

“He loved the service,” he said. “When anybody needed anything, he would be there for them. And it always scared the living daylights out of us because we were just always afraid for him.”