Army Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries

Died January 28, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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37, of Roscoe, Texas; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, Spc. Evan A. Marshall, Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer and Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young.

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Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq

The Associated Press

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.

More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.

Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.

They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.

“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”

Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.

“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.

Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.

“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”

“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.

Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.

“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.

Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.

“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.

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Soldier killed by roadside bomb was a father to his men

The Associated Press

Army Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries was a father figure to his men.

“We called him ‘Grandpa Six’ because he looked out for all of us and had been with the battalion so long,” Sgt. Felipe Cruz said. “He was a true friend and brother.”

Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas, was killed Jan. 28 by an explosion in Mosul, Iraq. He was a 1990 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.

In his yearbook, Jeffries jokingly “willed” to underclassmen his camouflage jacket, his intelligence, ability to fix a carburetor and change oil, and his cowboy boots.

Jeffries joined the Army in 1997 and was on his fourth deployment overseas when he died. He served in Korea from March 2000 to March 2001 and deployed to Iraq from March 2003 to March 2004, and from December 2005 to November 2006. He returned to Iraq in December for his third deployment.

Former classmate Chas McGlothlin said Jeffries was a quiet kid who was “always in the weight room.” He remembers Jeffries showing an interest in the military in high school and frequently wearing camouflage.

He is survived by his son, Zachary, 14, and his daughter, Sierra, 12.