SGT Dale Brehm

SGT Dale Brehm - 2/75

Ranger Brehm was killed in a Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 19, 2006

Sgt. Dale G. M. Brehm, 23, was a team leader assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash. He was wounded by enemy small arms fire while conducting combat operations in western Iraq on March 18, and died of those wounds on March 19, 2006.

After graduating from Turlock High School in Turlock, Calif., Brehm volunteered for military service and entered the Army Feb. 15, 2001. He completed One Station Unit Training, airborne school and Ranger Indoctrination Program at Fort Benning, Ga.

Assigned to 2nd Ranger Bn. in October 2001, Brehm served as a rifleman and grenadier.

Brehm was a six-time veteran of the Global War on Terrorism, deploying three times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and three times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal for valor, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Jordanian Parachutist Wings and the Ranger Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, Purple Heart and Army Commendation Medals with one Oak Leaf Cluster.

As a Ranger, Brehm selflessly lived his life for others and distinguished himself as a member of the Army’s premier direct action raid force, continuously deployed in support of the Global War on Terror, and fought valiantly as he served his fellow Rangers and our great Nation.

Brehm is survived by his wife, Raini, his mother and stepfather Laura & Ed Vawter, his father and stepmother, William, and Linda Brehm and his two brothers, Scott Williams and SPC Chad Williams.

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https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-09-me-brehm9-story.html

Sgt. Dale Brehm’s thoughts were turning away from war in the desert last month toward a new home and the beginnings of a family.

The Army Ranger was on his sixth tour of duty in the Middle East, three in Afghanistan and three in Iraq. He had only two weeks to go before he was scheduled to rotate out of Iraq and only three months before he left the military behind and returned to civilian life.

On March 18, Brehm, a native of Turlock, Calif., and other members of his unit were attacked with small-arms fire in the town of Ramadi, about 70 miles west of Baghdad.

Brehm, 23, and Army Staff Sgt. Ricardo Barraza, 24, of Shafter, Calif., were killed in the fight. Both were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Brehm died three days short of his 24th birthday.

On Thursday, Brehm, with much of his immediate family in attendance, was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

“He was due to get out in July,” said his stepmother, Linda Brehm of Turlock. “He came to the decision that he was ready. In 2 1/2 weeks, he would have been home from his tour. He was starting to plan to build a house.”

Brehm graduated from Turlock Adult School in 2000 and was a five-year Army veteran, joining on Feb. 15, 2001.

His stepmother said he was a popular high school student without a great deal of direction before he began to think of the Army as a career path. “He saw a recruiter and was really excited about it,” she said. “He planned to be a Ranger almost from the get-go. It was a dream for him, and he fulfilled his dream.”

After Ranger training at Ft. Benning, Ga., Brehm was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. His first three tours were in Afghanistan. One member of his 2nd Battalion was Cpl. Pat Tillman, 27, a former National Football League star killed by “friendly fire” in Afghanistan in 2004 after giving up a lucrative career with the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army.

Linda Brehm said her stepson and his wife, Raini, a Modesto native, would visit between his assignments, though little was said of what he did in the Middle East in his role as a rifleman, grenadier and team leader. But she said she could see a gradual, positive change in him with each visit.

“Everyone got to see the changes as he went from a boy to a man,” she said. “It was fun to be with him. He liked to have a good time, to have a beer and relax.”

Linda Brehm said that she and Dale’s father, Bill, were having coffee one Sunday morning last month when they saw two uniformed officers approaching the front door. She said she knew that something was wrong.

The Army gave little information about what happened in Ramadi the day that Brehm was killed. But it was, and is, a dangerous place for an American soldier to operate. U.S. troops occupy rooftop positions, from which they watch the alleyways and streets below for suspicious movements. Men wearing ski masks routinely fire on American troops in the town.

In the aftermath of his death, Brehm’s company commander, Maj. Jasper Jeffers, described him as someone who “demanded that the men around him give nothing less than 100% with every task.”

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Turlock Army Ranger killed in Iraq
By Brandon Bowers
Courtesy of the Turlock Journal
Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Tuesday would have been Dale Brehm's 24th birthday. But instead of a party, the Army Ranger's family was mourning his death.

Brehm was killed Saturday while serving in Iraq.

“He wouldn't call himself a hero, but I would,” said his father, Bill Brehm. “He was my hero. I was very proud of him.”

Details surrounding his death were not provided by his family and the military has yet to announce any casualties. Brehm is the third soldier from Turlock killed in the last six months. Army Captain Raymond D. Hill, 39, died October 29, 2005, in Baghdad and Army Sergeant First Class Chad Gonsalves, 31, was killed in Afghanistan.

Flags were placed in Brehm's memory at many of the homes in the Peacock Estates neighborhood where Bill and Linda Brehm live.

Dale Brehm graduated in 2000 from Turlock Adult High School and joined the military nearly a year later. He was stationed with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Wash., and lived in the nearby city of Steilacoom with his wife, Raini. The couple met as high school students and were married in 2003. Brehm was scheduled to finish his second term with the Army in July and was looking forward to returning home and starting a family, his father said.

Brehm attended Turlock Christian Elementary School and spent several years at Turlock High. His interest in the military began in his teen years. With his father's encouragement, he joined the Army after graduation.

“I encouraged him because it could make him excel,” Bill Brehm said. “The Army really transformed him. He was good to the Army, and the Army was good to him.”

On September 10, 2001, he called his father to tell him he accomplished his goal of becoming an Army Ranger - elite soldiers that make up the military's special forces.

“Being a Ranger was his dream,” Bill Brehm said. “He would want to be remembered as a good Ranger. He would be extremely proud of that, being remembered for doing a good job. When you have a dream and you conquer it, what else is there?”

A day after that phone call, everything changed. Terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., ushering in a new era for the military.

Brehm's unit was sent to the Middle East a number of times. His parents knew little about his experiences overseas, but remained proud of their son.

“He was very private about his military experiences. It was all so secret, and he didn't want to worry us,” said Linda Brehm.

Brehm was a jumpmaster, a soldier who has received special training for jumping out of airplanes and helicopters during combat.

“He said there was nothing better than being in a plane and watching the ground go by. He loved the rush,” Bill Brehm said.

Brehm's faith kept any fears at bay.

“He was at peace in his heart. He said if his time came, it was God's will. He was never scared,” his father said.

Bill Brehm said his favorite memories of his son include watching him play with friends as a child and participating in Little League baseball.

“I enjoyed seeing him mature, growing up to become a good citizen,” Bill Brehm said.

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Public Comments from Fallen Heroes Memorial

https://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/brehmdaleg.html

"To the family of:Dale G. Brehm
I am so sorry for the loss of your love one. My heart cries out for you in your grief and you have my thoughts and prayers. He died a hero defending freedom. May you have the peace and understanding that only comes from God. Prayerfully we will all meet in Heaven one day where we will rest in the arms of Jesus. If you need prayer or need someone to talk to, please call or write my pastor: Rev. John Pearrell 11677 Brown Bridge Rd., Covington, GA 30016. (770)787-1015.
Your friend in Jesus Christ, Polly Ballew Covington,Ga""

"love you dale. u where my good friend and i still miss u. i remember u trying to get me to join the army with you.sucks man. u where my right hand man back in stan. county lol. anyways i will remember you as a real man. someone who loved his friends/family but would never back down from what he believed.i love u bro. RIP ."
lance jordan of modesto/ca

"it was the 19th of march ... i was there"

"I never want to forget the sacrifices of so many young men and women. I am so proud it makes me cry. I understand in theory only that war is a part of human nature but so is love and caring. I wish I could take the families pain away but I can't. I am committed to loving ALL people, myself and our environment. I am committed to working on my happiness everyday because so many have died for my freedom to live my life. Thank you is not enough but it is all I have. All my love and respect. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEjz-wAQLSA&feature=PlayList&p=477CB1585D5551F3"
Scott Steiner of Worthington, OH USA

""My son (Cheeks) serves in A Co. 2/75 He gave me a memorial bracelet to wear which bears the names: Ricardo Barraza & Dale Brehm.
I wear the bracelet 24/7 to always remember the sacrifice made. God Bless you.""
Dan of Bow, NH

"April 29, 2008
To the family of Sgt. Dale G. Brehm:
Dale gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. I cannot and will not let our fallen heroes be forgotten. My deepest sympathy to you. "Some gave all."
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org"
Peggy Childers of Carson City, NV

"I need to tell you thank you for saving the life of someone I love that night. You are the biggest hero to all those who knew you, and to those who did not. Remembering you is all we can do, I shall never forget. My eternal graditude is all I have to give."
Rebekka of Florida

"The Ranger Creed

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of my Ranger Regiment.

Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives as the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move farther, faster and fight harder than any other soldier.

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be. One-hundred-percent and then some.

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well-trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.

Engergetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarass my country.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor.

RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!

Dale,
I would like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for our Country-not just in OIF, but also for your service in Afghanistan as well. And to your family and loved ones, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.

RLTW"

"We Will NEVER FORGET !"
Please KNOW so many people share your sadness,
and we are remembering your family in your loss and your deep grief.
Our nations HERO, Dale will be remembered by name.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Pat & Sandi Breckenridge / Montana God Bless you ALWAYS. "

"Dale was one of the finest Rangers I have ever met. He loved the job and defended fiercely the honor of the Regiment. You will be missed brother."
Merwin Severtson of Fort Lewis, Washington

"Thank you Dale Brehm, you will not be forgotten. Your bravery goes beyond words. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your sacrifice. To the family and friends, my prayers and deep condolences in your loss. May God strengthen you from knowing that fellow Americans and people around the world care about you and grieve with you in your loss. God bless you all. A very appreciative fellow American,"
Leo Titus of Grayslake, Illinios

"To the family and friends of Sgt. Dale Brehm:
May God's grace be with you during your time of grief. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and we feel your loss and share in your sorrow. Bless Dale for the sacrifice he has made to make a better life for the rest of us."
The Ford Family of Wells, Nevada

"To the family and friends of Sgt. Dale Brehm:
I am saddened by the loss of your loved one. He will always be remembered as a hero for fighting for freedom. I hope that this website will be a source of comfort and encouragement for you during this difficult time, and in the future as you recall the memories of Dale, who continues to live on in your heart."
Tim Rivera of Powder Springs, Georgia