Army Ranger Sgt. Joel David Clarkson, 23, passed from us on March 16, 2010, in Landstuhl, Germany, as a result of wounds sustained during combat operations in Farah Province of Afghanistan. At the time of death, he was stationed with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Wash. He had completed three tours of duty in Iraq and was in the process of completing his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
SGT Joel David Clarkson from Fairbanks, Alaska
SGT Clarkson served with: A Company 2nd Ranger Battalion
Born in 1986, Ranger Clarkson was 24 years old at the time of his death in 2010.
Complete biography is below the photo gallery
SGT Joel David Clarkson 's Biography
Army Ranger Sgt. Joel David Clarkson, 23, passed from us on March 16, 2010, in Landstuhl, Germany, as a result of wounds sustained during combat operations in Farah Province of Afghanistan. At the time of death, he was stationed with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Wash. He had completed three tours of duty in Iraq and was in the process of completing his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
SGT. JOEL DAVID CLARKSON
Died on March 16, 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom
Sgt. Joel David Clarkson, 23, was a team leader assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. He was born on Oct. 8, 1986.
Clarkson was seriously wounded during a fierce direct-fire combat
engagement against a heavily armed and determined enemy in Farah Province, Afghanistan, March 13. He was treated by unit medics, immediately evacuated to the nearest medical treatment facility and subsequently transferred to Landsthul Regional Hospital, Landsthul, Germany where he died March 16.
He was on his fifth deployment in support of the War on Terror with three previous deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.
Clarkson enlisted in the U.S. Army from his hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska in February 2006.
He completed One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Ga., as an infantryman. After graduating from the Basic Airborne Course there, he was assigned to the Ranger Indoctrination Program also at Fort Benning.
Following graduation from the Ranger Indoctrination Program, Clarkson was assigned to Company A, 2nd Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment in September 2006 where he served as a grenadier, Squad Automatic Weapon gunner and a team leader.
His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Indoctrination Program, U.S. Army Ranger Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, and the Warrior Leader Course.
His awards and decorations include the Ranger Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with combat star, Iraq Campaign Medal with combat star,
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.
Clarkson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
He is survived by his wife Cassandra and their son, Orion of Norfolk, Va.; his parents, Karen and Steven Clarkson of Fairbanks, Ala., and his older sister, Jessica.
– RANGERS LEAD THE WAY! –
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http://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-sgt-joel-d-clarkson/4549531
Army Sgt. Joel D. Clarkson
Died March 16, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom
23, of Fairbanks, Alaska; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died March 16 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds sustained March 13 during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Flags at half-staff to honor fallen soldier
The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska’s governor is ordering flags flown at half-staff in honor of a 23-year-old Army Ranger who was fatally wounded in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Joel D. Clarkson died March 16 from wounds sustained March 12 by small-arms fire while his unit was on patrol in Helmland province.
On Friday, Gov. Sean Parnell ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff on Tuesday in his honor.
He called Clarkson “a brave soldier who sacrificed his life while defending our freedom.”
The Fairbanks native had been assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Fallen Ranger leaves behind 9-month-old son
The Associated Press
Joel D. Clarkson’s uncle says the 23-year-old Army Ranger’s life came together when he joined the military and started a family.
“Everything just clicked,” David Williams said. “His drive was to be a soldier.”
Williams described his nephew as athletic and outgoing. Clarkson enlisted in the Army from his hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska, and his family said he had been deployed three times to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan.
“Thoughtful, fearless, and engaging, Sgt. Joel Clarkson possessed that intangible stuff we desire most in Ranger — the stuff of which legends are made,” said Col. Mark Odom.
Clarkson died March 16 — three days after he was injured in combat in Helmand province.
After two surgeries in Afghanistan, his family said, he was taken to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where he died.
He was assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
“My world just ended. I have lost my baby,” Clarkson’s mother, Karen Williams-Clarkson, posted on her Facebook page after her son died.
Clarkson’s survivors include his wife, Cassandra, and 9-month-old son, Orion.
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http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jdclarkson.htm
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 223-10
March 22, 2010
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sergeant Joel D. Clarkson, 23, of Fairbanks, Alaska, died March 16, 2010, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds sustained March 13, 2010, during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005, or visit http://news.soc.mil.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Family mourns the death of a soldier
By JENNY MANNING
Courtesy of THE WHIDBEY NEWS TIMES
Special Forces Army Ranger Joel David Clarkson, the grandson of longtime Oak Harbor resident Virginia Williams, died from a combat-related injury in Afghanistan this week.
“My world just ended. I have lost my baby,” Joel’s mother Karen Williams-Clarkson posted on her Facebook page about noon Wednesday. He was pronounced dead on March 17, 2010.
Clackson was wounded in Afghanistan Friday, March 12, 2010, when a bullet penetrated his skull. He underwent two surgeries in Afghanistan and was transported to Germany for further care. Doctors pronounced him brain dead Wednesday morning.
Seven of his organs went to save the lives of others.
Joel’s uncle, David Williams of Oak Harbor, described his nephew as an athletic, outgoing young man whose life fell into place after he joined the service and started a family of his own.
“Everything just clicked,” Williams said. “His drive was to be a soldier.”
Joel leaves behind his wife, Cassandra, and 9-month-old son, Orion, of Puyallup; sister Jessica Clarkson of Fairbanks; mother Karen Clarkson-Williams of Fairbanks; uncle David Williams of Oak Harbor; and grandmother Virginia Williams of Oak Harbor.
Services are to be held Saturday, March 27, 2010, in Fort Lewis, Washington, and on April 5, 2010, in Arlington National Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest. There will also be a small service in Alaska at a later date.
Lewis-McChord Ranger, 23, dies from injuries suffered in Afghanistan
Sergeant Joel D. Clarkson, a 23-year-old Alaska native, died Wednesday after being injured by small-arms fire during a patrol in Helmand province March 12. Clarkson was a member of 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment and was on his fifth overseas tour.
He is survived by his wife, Cassandra, and their 9-month-old son, Orion. The couple lived in Puyallup.
Eleven soldiers from 2nd Ranger Battalion have been killed during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Clarkson is the first member of the Special Operations battalion to die in combat since June 2008.
The Pentagon has yet to confirm Clarkson’s death, but relatives have confirmed the death on a Facebook page created shortly after he was injured. Alaska Governor Sean Parnell also confirmed the death in a statement late Friday evening.
“Sandy and I are deeply saddened by the loss of Sergeant Clarkson,” Parnell said. “He was a brave soldier who sacrificed his life while defending our freedom. We offer our condolences and prayers for his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Clarkson’s family told the Whidbey News-Times of Oak Harbor that Clarkson was shot in the head March 12. He underwent two surgeries in Afghanistan and later was flown to Germany.
“A bullet entered the front side of his helmet and penetrated his skull during combat,” Clarkson’s uncle, David Williams, told the News-Times. “The shock of it took him out pretty good.”
Clarkson attended Oak Harbor High School for several months during his senior year in 2004, according to the paper.
A memorial service will be March 27 at Lewis-McChord, and a funeral will be April 5 at Arlington National Cemetery, according to the Facebook page.
U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office
22 March 2010
JD Clarkson US Army PHOTO
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, March 22, 2010) — An Army Ranger died March 16, 2010, from wounds received during combat operations March 13, 2010, in Afghanistan while serving with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Sergeant Joel David Clarkson, 23, was seriously wounded in a fierce engagement with a heavily armed enemy force in the Farah Province. Treated immediately by unit medical personnel, he was quickly evacuated to the nearest medical treatment facility and subsequently transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany where he died March 16, 2010. He was on his fifth deployment in support of the War on Terror with three previous deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.
"Sergeant Clarkson was the epitome of the Ranger Team Leader—he cared deeply for his men, always led from the front, and was at his best when the situation was the most dire," said Colonel Michael E. Kurilla, commander, 75th Ranger Regiment. "He is a hero to our Nation, the Army, and his Family."
The Ranger task force attacked a concentration of determined fighters in the desert of the Farah Province. Though decisively engaged, the Rangers ultimately killed eight enemy fighters, destroyed their base of operations along with weapons and ammunition, and captured a key leader of the terrorist network, according to official military reports.
"Thoughtful, fearless, and engaging, Sergeant Joel Clarkson possessed that intangible stuff we desire most in Ranger – the stuff of which legends are made," said Colonel Mark Odom, commander, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.
Clarkson enlisted in the U.S. Army from his hometown of Fairbanks, Alaaka. He began his Army Ranger career when he was assigned to Company A, 2nd Bn., where he served as a grenadier, Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) gunner and team leader.
Clarkson is survived by his wife, Cassandra and their son, Orion of Norfolk, Virginia; his parents, Steve and Karen Clarkson of Fairbanks, Alaska; and his older sister, Jessica.
Sergeant Joel David Clarkson
Killed in action on March 16, 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom
Sergeant Joel David Clarkson, 23, was a team leader assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. He was born on October 8, 1986.
Sergeant Clarkson was seriously wounded during a fierce direct-fire combat engagement against a heavily armed and determined enemy in Farah Province, Afghanistan March 13, 2010. He was treated by unit medics, immediately evacuated to the nearest medical treatment facility and subsequently transferred to Landsthul Regional Hospital, Landsthul, Germany where he died March 16, 2010. He was on his fifth deployment in support of the War on Terror with three previous deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.
Sergeant Clarkson enlisted in the U.S. Army from his hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska in February 2006. He completed One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, as an infantryman. After graduating from the Basic Airborne Course there, he was assigned to the Ranger Indoctrination Program also at Fort Benning.
Following graduation from the Ranger Indoctrination Program, Sergeant Clarkson was assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in September 2006 where he served as a grenadier, Squad Automatic Weapon gunner and a team leader.
His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Indoctrination Program, U.S. Army Ranger Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, and the Warrior Leader Course.
His awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with combat star, Iraq Campaign Medal with combat star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.
Sergeant Clarkson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal.
He is survived by his wife Cassandra and their son, Orion of Norfolk, Virginia; his parents, Karen and Steven Clarkson of Fairbanks, Ala., and his older sister, Jessica.
As a Ranger, Sergeant Joel David Clarkson selflessly lived his life for others while he distinguished himself as a member of the Army’s premier light-infantry unit, consistently deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism, and fought valiantly as he served his fellow Rangers and our great nation.
NOTE: Sergeant Clarkson's headstone was corrected in September 2010 to read "Operation Enduring Freedom," as the result of an e-mail received from one of his comrades in the field. The original headstone read "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Thanks to Sergeant Clarkson's buddy and to the Arlington staff.
CLARKSON, JOEL DAVID
SGT US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 10/08/1986
DATE OF DEATH: 03/16/2010
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 9081
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
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http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsminer/obituary.aspx?pid=142093903
Army Ranger Sgt. Joel David Clarkson, 23, passed from us on March 16, 2010, in Landstuhl, Germany, as a result of wounds sustained during combat operations in Farah Province of Afghanistan. At the time of death, he was stationed with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Wash. He had completed three tours of duty in Iraq and was in the process of completing his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
He was born to Karen and Steven Clarkson on Oct. 8, 1986, at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. He attended Badger and Nordale elementary schools, Tanana Middle School and Lathrop High School in Fairbanks.
If one word could describe Joel, it was passion. In youth, Joel's passions included tae kwon do, football, soccer, ROTC, Shakespeare, and fishing with family and friends in Prince William Sound. As an adult, his passions were God, country and the soldiers that served with him.
The loves of his life were his beautiful wife, Cassandra, and his 9-month-old son, Orion.
He loved and lived with intensity few ever experience. Even in death, seven lives were given a second chance through his organ donations. This brave young man has touched many lives.
His final journal entry summed it up: A life well lived.
Joel is survived by his wife, Cassandra Clarkson, and son, Orion Gabriel, of Puyallup, Wash.; his parents, Karen and Steven Clarkson, of Fairbanks; grandmother Virginia and uncle, David Williams, of Oak Harbor, Wash.; sister, Jessica Clarkson, of Hong Kong; aunt Rhonda Bourek and cousins Dixie Lee Radakovich and Tracie Thomas, of Salt Lake City; uncle Gregory F. Clarkson and aunt Norine; uncle Layne Clarkson; aunt Cheri Horman and uncle Don; cousins, Desire Macz/Kevin, Danielle Clarkson, David Horman/Cindy, Gregory B. Clarkson, Terri Kinchen, Beth Pinard/Jeremy and Harry Horman, of Fairbanks, and Nathaniel Clarkson and Jenna Clarkson, of Cheboygan, Mich., Akira Shimbo, of Tokyo; and many other too numerous to mention.
His grandfather and grandmother, David and Rhoda Clarkson; grandfather, Elmer Williams; great-grandmother, Emily Luing; and great-grandparents, David and Jeanie Yott, preceded him in death.
Services with full military honors were held March 27 at Fort Lewis and April 5 in Arlington National Cemetery, where he was laid to rest. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsminer/obituary.aspx?pid=142093903#sthash.laTGBvYC.dpuf
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http://www.socnet.com/showthread.php?t=108659
I remember the first time I met SPC Clarkson, it was my first trip to Trashcanistan and we were finally leaving. I was in B Co, he was in A Co, and for some reason my squad and his ended up sharing rooms together. We bs'd here and there, which I always thought was kind of unusual since I was just a private. A few months later as I was walking back to the barracks with a private buddy I ran into him by the ropes in the quad. He asked me "Hey, where you going?!". My private buddy looked at him confused, replied with "Uh...Ranger School Corporal?", found a place to elevate his feet and starting knocking out push ups, not realizing the question was intended for me. The thing was, I wasn't going to Ranger School, haha. We would always shoot the shit when we ran into each other in the quad.
Later during the training cycle I ended up in the Spartan Tactical pistol course with CPL Clarkson. We briefly caught up and enjoyed the instruction from the course. I specifically remember one time where my team leader was giving me shit for no reason, he was an asshole, and CPL Clarkson asked me what his beef was with me. I was surprised he actually had my back, me, an untabbed SPC.
Two years ago we were in the final leg of our deployment, when we learned that A Co had taken some contact last night. We learned that SGT Clarkson was mortally wounded. My PSG took it pretty hard, he had been Joel's squad leader back when it was hard. I couldn't believe it. Although I didn't know many guys in A Co, I recalled the many times we had spoken, and always admired his attitude.
Today, I remember SGT Clarkson and the influence he had on me as a young Ranger. I bought you a beer Ranger Buddy, I thought it would be fitting. <2>
