| (August 15, 2021) -- History will judge the record of US policy under four administrations -- Bush, Obama, Trump and now Biden -- in U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and the ultimate fall of that country to the Taliban.
Regardless of one's views on that record, LBREPORT.com pauses to recall with respect the names of the Long Beach men who gave their lives in that involvement. Of fifteen serviceembers who died in Afghanistan and Iraq, four died in Afghanistan.
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| During this period, then-5th district Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske arranged to display memorial banners and conducted ceremonies in Rosie the Riveter Park (Clark Ave. @ Conant St.) honoring servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan and Iraq. The ceremonies ended under successor Councilwoman Stacy Mungo; the banners remain visible. Annual Memorial Day events have continued organized by the independent non-profit Honoring Our Fallen (most recently covered by LBREPORT.com here.)
The names of the 15 LB servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan and Iraq are collectively displayed at this link LBREPORT.con provides below portions of our archival coverage of the four LB servicemembers who gave their lives in Afghanistan. (May 22, 2007) -- Family, friends and dignitaries attended the  Photo credit: Nancy Foster Staff Sgt. Whitaker was remembered in an emotional service at ELB's Parkcrest Christian Church attended by officials including LB Mayor Bob Foster and First Lady Nancy Foster, Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal and Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal. A day earlier, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske joined Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal at a viewing with family and friends. The Long Beach City Council adjourned its May 22 meeting in Staff Sgt. Whitaker's honor. Mayor Foster acknowledged Staff Sgt. Whitaker's passing and gave the floor to Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal who made the motion. "This hit a lot closer to home than is comfortable for any of us. This is the second child of Long Beach that came home to us this way recently," said Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal, a reference to the May 2 death of Spc. Astor Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal said of Staff Sgt. Whitaker, "For as young a man as he was, he accomplished quite a bit. He found his way through his service. His family raised a beautiful, beautiful boy and delivered to us a young man who made the ultimate sacrifice..." Joining in the adjournment in memory motion, Councilwoman Schipske said, "I too would like to add my condolences to the family...Last night I was at the funeral home with Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal and got to meet Joshua's mother and it was an extremely touching, emotional evening and we certainly send our love and prayers to her and the family." As previously reported by LBReport.com, the office of CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement in Staff Sgt. Whitaker's honor:
Veterans from the Patriot Guard Riders (who travel on motorcycles to the funerals of servicemembers) came to pay their respects. Staff Sgt. Whitaker is survived by family including his mother, Catherine Whitaker, and uncle Robb Whitaker, who is General Manager of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California. (July 22, 2008) -- The flag draped casket of Sgt. Israel Garcia was brought to Long Beach at midday July 22, 2008.   Photo via an attendee That evening, the Long Beach City Council adjourned its meeting in memory of Sgt. Garcia. Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who was present at LB Airport as Sgt. Garcia's flag draped coffin was returned, told the Council: Councilwoman Schipske: Thank you for closing the meeting in memory of Sgt. Garcia. I want us to please keep his family in your prayers. I was asked to go today by the Patriot Guard...and they actually gave me a copy of Sgt. Garcia's dogtags. ...Sgt. Garcia was brought to his rest at All Souls Cemetery in LB, with full military honors on July 25; hundreds attended, far overflowing a tent for family and friends.  Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and First Lady Nancy Foster both attended...and Mayor Foster presented Mrs. Garcia with the City Flag and conveyed his wishes on behalf of the people of the City of Long Beach. Brigadier General John McMahon commenced military honors, announcing that he was present on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army. He expressed the nation's gratitude to Sgt. Garcia, praising him as "a soldier's soldier"...and presented Sgt. Garcia with The Purple Heart (America's oldest military medal) and the Bronze Star for valor in battle. After reading the medal citations, Brig. General McMahon brought them to family members...delivering them on bended knee.  He also presented the family with Gold Stars, the Congressionally declared honoring symbol since WWII for those who've lost a loved one in military service... (May 26, 2012) -- As Memorial Day approaches, U.S. Army Sgt. Israel Garcia, a Long Beach hometown hero who perished in Afghanistan in 2008, was memorialized at his alma mater, LB Polytechnic High School on May 25 as a Memorial Bench was dedicated in his honor. LBReport.com provides video of salient portions of the eloquent and heartfelt ceremony. To launch the video, click here... Among those delivering touching words was Sgt. Garcia's wife, Lesly (in photo immediately below), as well as Sgt. Garcia's mother (all heard in full on the video above).    Also attending and speaking was Long Beach Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske (the only Long Beach elected official present)... Councilwoman Schipske told the crowd that the emotionally searing experience moved her to take a number of actions. They included establishing a Long Beach city policy of lowering all city flags to half-staff when a LB resident gave their life in service to the country...and creating the Hometown Heroes banner project at Rosie the Riveter Park, a military memorial that she envisioned and brought to fruition in East Long Beach... (Oct. 14. 2012) -- LBReport.com is deeply saddened to report the death in combat of Sgt, Thomas R. MacPherson, 26, of Long Beach -- a U.S. Army Ranger who previously served one deployment in Iraq and was on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan.  U.S. Army released photo A release issued by the US Army's Special Operations Command says Sgt. MacPherson -- a Long Beach native -- was killed in a heavy firefight with enemy forces while leading an assault against an enemy position in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan [US Army Special Operations Command release text] A U.S. Army Ranger was killed in action Oct. 12, 2012 during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In further information, the U.S. Army Command states: [Sgt. MacPherson] was leading an assault against an enemy position when he was mortally wounded by small arms fire. A release issued by the US Army's Special Operations Command says Sgt. MacPherson -- a Long Beach native -- was killed in a heavy firefight with enemy forces while leading an assault against an enemy position in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan [US Army Special Operations Command release text] A U.S. Army Ranger was killed in action Oct. 12, 2012 during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In further information, the U.S. Army Command states: [Sgt. MacPherson] was leading an assault against an enemy position when he was mortally wounded by small arms fire. (Oct. 26, 2012) -- In a somber ceremony yesterday (Oct. 25), Sgt. MacPherson was returned to the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base airfield. Dignitaries, including Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, representatives of multiple Fire agencies including LBFD Fire Chief Mike DuRee and Deputy Fire Chief Richard Brandt, and multiple Police and Sheriff agencies, along with a contingent of the motorcycle-riding Patriot Guard and a large crowd of civilians.   The event took place in stark silence, broken only by orders/commands to assembled military personnel. Familymembers were escorted to a chartered aircraft carrying the casket and allowed a period at planeside. The casket was then taken by military pallbearers to a waiting hearse which traveled in a procession escorted by Fire and Police units to Forest Lawn in Cypress...     (December 16, 2012, updated with photos Dec. 17) -- In an event coordinated with nationwide Wreaths Across America events (including Arlington National Cemetery and military memorials across the country), Christmas Wreaths were placed at Long Beach's Rosie the Riveter Park/Interpretive Center (Clark Ave. @ Conant St)  Photo by Dan Halverson The event, organized by Long Beach's Hometown Heroes project, honored the fifteen servicemembers from Long Beach who gave their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq, now including a banner honoring Sgt. Thomas R. MacPherson who perished in October in Afghanistan... Presiding was Long Beach Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who brought the Rosie the Riveter Park/Interpretive Center and Hometown Heroes projects to fruition using privately raised/sponsored funds.     (May 28, 2018, 5:55 p.m.) -- ...[T]he names of all 6,904 service members who gave their lives since the 9/11 attacks were aloud at Rosie the Riveter Park (Clark @ Conant in ELB) in an event presented by Honoring Our Fallen. Rosie the Riveter Park was a project built without using taxpayer fund under former 5th dist. Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske. The Wall of Remembrance displaying the engraved names of each of post 9/11 fallen servicemembers was built by Honoring Our Fallen, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides support for families of fallen military members as they're returned home for burial.
Gold Star Mother Jane Maher, whose sons -- USAF Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvell and USAF Technical Sgt. Sean Harvell have names engraved on the Wall of Remembrance -- was among those reading names of the fallen.
Along with other Long Beach Hometown Heroes, the Harvell brothers have Flags of Honor posted 24/7/365 at the Park.
And in a nearby local link, Lt. Cmdr. Jonas Kelsall, the son of the then-Pres/CEO of the Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, was among the Navy SEALS who perished aboard a downed helicopter in Aug. 2011.
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23 year old Army Staff Sergeant Joshua R. Whitaker died May 15, 2007 in Qalat, Afghanistan. Whitaker was born March 10, 1984 and graduated from Millikan High School. Whitaker died a hero. When Taliban fighters ambushed his convoy, he fired a 50-caliber turret gun, killing five Taliban and saving nine of his comrades.
24 year old Army Sergeant Israel Garcia died July 13, 2008 in Wanat, Afghanistan. Garcia was born January 19, 1984 and graduated from Polytechnic High School. He married his high school sweetheart, Lesly. Garcia was killed when his outpost was attacked by small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. He had hoped to become a Long Beach Police Department investigator.
26 year old Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew W. Harvell died August 6, 2011 in Wardak province, Afghanistan. Harvell was born September 26, 1984 and graduated from Millikan High School. He was among 30 U.S. military personnel killed when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down by a rocket propelled grenade in Wardak province Afghanistan. He left behind a wife and two children.
Sgt. Thomas MacPherson, 26, of Long Beach perished on Oct. 12, 2012 while leading an assault on an enemy position. He'd previously served one deployment in Iraq; this was his fourth deployment to Afghanistan. A release issued by the US Army's Special Operations Command says Sgt. MacPherson -- a Long Beach native -- was killed in a heavy firefight with enemy forces while leading an assault against an enemy position in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan
"Protecting this nation is a dangerous yet noble cause. Staff Sergeant Whitaker willingly put his life on the line and made the ultimate sacrifice while bravely serving our country abroad. Maria and I send our thoughts and prayers to Joshua's family, friends and fellow soldiers for their painful loss. His will be remembered for his perseverance and dedication."
