NcDeuce
06-24-2004, 06:42 PM
Green Beret called a patriot who loved country, family
Maj. Paul R. Syverson III, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star medal recipient for missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, was remembered Tuesday as a family man and for his heroism as a Green Beret.
Syverson, 32, of Lake Zurich, Ill., was killed in a rocket attack June 16 in Balad, Iraq, while entering the Post Exchange at Camp Anaconda to buy supplies for his unit. He was the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group assistant group operations officer.
"He died not part of a planned mission ... but that's the nature of the combat zone and you never know when that round or bullet will come around," said the 5th Group's deputy commander Lt. Col. Christopher Haas.
Those who spoke at the service, including Haas, gave Syverson the highest praise as a man doing a job that he loved.
"It's a great loss to the group that a soldier the caliber of Maj. Syverson is lost," Haas said. "(He) was the type of officer we all strive to be. He was courageous and dedicated. Without question, Maj. Paul Syverson was a warrior -- a born leader whose men would do anything for him. He was trusted and respected."
Haas said even though Syverson had an infant daughter, he volunteered to stay in Iraq before returning stateside to attend the U.S. Army War College.
Maj. Scott Brower worked with Syverson and described him as a focused, by-the-book kind of guy but with a sense of humor and love for his family.
"Paul cared deeply for his fellow soldiers. Paul was always a friend," Brower said, adding that Syverson's family was a "shining light" in his life.
Group commander Col. Hector Pagan said Syverson's death has hit the unit hard, but his intensity and dedication will continue to inspire them.
"We will feel Paul's presence in Iraq and Fort Campbell ... we will never forget him," Pagan said.
Syverson was injured in November 2001 in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, when he and members of his team were hit by a misguided U.S. bomb while trying to quell a prison uprising. The mission included recovering the body of CIA agent Michael Spann and the discovery of John Walker Lindh.
Syverson is survived by his wife, Jackie, his son, Paul, 7, and daughter, Amy, 2 months.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040623/localnews/700790-316848.jpg
Unidentified mourners console each other after a memorial service for Special Forces Maj. Paul Syverson III Tuesday in Fort Campbell. Syverson, who earned a Bronze Star fighting in Afghanistan, was killed in Iraq two weeks into his third tour of duty in Iraq, a tour he volunteered to do despite having a newborn daughter.
Fair winds and following seas, upmost respect for Major Syverson. R.I.P.
Maj. Paul R. Syverson III, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star medal recipient for missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, was remembered Tuesday as a family man and for his heroism as a Green Beret.
Syverson, 32, of Lake Zurich, Ill., was killed in a rocket attack June 16 in Balad, Iraq, while entering the Post Exchange at Camp Anaconda to buy supplies for his unit. He was the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group assistant group operations officer.
"He died not part of a planned mission ... but that's the nature of the combat zone and you never know when that round or bullet will come around," said the 5th Group's deputy commander Lt. Col. Christopher Haas.
Those who spoke at the service, including Haas, gave Syverson the highest praise as a man doing a job that he loved.
"It's a great loss to the group that a soldier the caliber of Maj. Syverson is lost," Haas said. "(He) was the type of officer we all strive to be. He was courageous and dedicated. Without question, Maj. Paul Syverson was a warrior -- a born leader whose men would do anything for him. He was trusted and respected."
Haas said even though Syverson had an infant daughter, he volunteered to stay in Iraq before returning stateside to attend the U.S. Army War College.
Maj. Scott Brower worked with Syverson and described him as a focused, by-the-book kind of guy but with a sense of humor and love for his family.
"Paul cared deeply for his fellow soldiers. Paul was always a friend," Brower said, adding that Syverson's family was a "shining light" in his life.
Group commander Col. Hector Pagan said Syverson's death has hit the unit hard, but his intensity and dedication will continue to inspire them.
"We will feel Paul's presence in Iraq and Fort Campbell ... we will never forget him," Pagan said.
Syverson was injured in November 2001 in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, when he and members of his team were hit by a misguided U.S. bomb while trying to quell a prison uprising. The mission included recovering the body of CIA agent Michael Spann and the discovery of John Walker Lindh.
Syverson is survived by his wife, Jackie, his son, Paul, 7, and daughter, Amy, 2 months.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040623/localnews/700790-316848.jpg
Unidentified mourners console each other after a memorial service for Special Forces Maj. Paul Syverson III Tuesday in Fort Campbell. Syverson, who earned a Bronze Star fighting in Afghanistan, was killed in Iraq two weeks into his third tour of duty in Iraq, a tour he volunteered to do despite having a newborn daughter.
Fair winds and following seas, upmost respect for Major Syverson. R.I.P.