Robert M. Carr

Saturday, March 17 2007 @ 07:03 AM EDT

Tribune Chronicle -- WARREN — Marine Corps veteran Jerry Kopiak of Warren said people don’t understand what’s happening in Iraq.

‘‘They don’t seem to care until it hits close to home like this one did,’’ the Vietnam veteran said.

Kopiak, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1090 in Warren, was reflecting on the death of Army Sgt. Robert M. Carr, 22, who was killed Tuesday in Iraq.

Carr was a 2002 graduate of Champion High School.

His body was expected to be back in the United States Friday night, according to his brother, Matthew. He said Robert’s body was scheduled to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., about 9 p.m. Friday. However, poor weather conditions possibly could have caused the flight to divert south until this morning.

Matthew Carr, who serves in the U.S. Army, arrived home Friday from his base in New York and has requested that he be permitted by the military to be Robert’s special escort home.

He added that several steps must be taken prior to the release of Robert’s body and that the family expects him to be in town sometime next week.

John Lesko, chaplain for the Warren VFW’s men’s auxiliary, said he drank many beers with Carr when the Fowler soldier was home on leave.

‘‘We all loved him,’’ Lesko said, his head shaking in disbelief. ‘‘He is a hero. He sacrificed his life to take care of us here at home.’’

A sign behind the bar at the VFW reads: ‘‘In loving memory of Sgt. Robert L. Carr who was killed on March 13, 2007, in the line of duty in Iraq. God speed!’’

Jim Doyle of Warren said the post is proud of Carr’s service and supports his family 100 percent.

‘‘If there’s anything we can do, we’re here for them,’’ he said.

Violet Kopiak, Jerry’s daughter, said she didn’t personally know Carr, but said his service is appreciated.

She said she joined the Navy last February, but found out she was pregnant during basic training and had to come home. She came home on St. Patrick’s Day 2006.

Kopiak said she is attending Kent State University-Trumbull Campus, where she is majoring in nursing. She said she will graduate in the spring of 2011, and plans to return to the Navy that fall. She said she will be a military nurse.

‘‘There’s been a lot of soldiers from this area who have died, but I will remember him the most because he died on my sister’s birthday,’’ Kopiak said.

She said her older sister died of a drug overdose in November 1998, when Kopiak was just 11.

Her boyfriend, Chad DeCost, said he planned to join the Marine Corps but two tattoos on either side of his neck kept him out. He said the military told him he would have to have the tattoos removed and wait two years for them to completely heal before he would be accepted.

‘‘I give Sergeant Carr so much respect. I didn’t know him, but I’m sure he was a good man. He was a hero,’’ DeCost said.

He said his friend is in the Army, and he served in Iraq 11 months before coming home last February. DeCost said unlike most soldiers, his buddy talked about his experiences overseas. He said his friend is waiting to be sent back to Iraq for his second tour of duty.

Felipe Romain, a Vietnam veteran, said Friday that losing a soldier is not easy, and it hurts deep, but it’s worth it to the soldiers who are fighting.

‘‘It’s easy to say ‘bring them home.’ It’s hard to say ‘stay the course.’ But someone has to say their lives mean something,’’ Romain said, his voice cracking with emotion. ‘‘We can’t abandon the soldiers who have lost their lives, and we can’t let a dictator win. This was started long before we invaded Iraq four years ago.

‘‘I will never let the lives lost be forgotten.’’

Sam Lanza, adjutant with the Disabled American Veterans, said he backs the troops 100 percent, but hates to see any soldier killed in battle.

‘‘This is happening too often, and we’re losing too many young people,’’ Lanza said. ‘‘I’m not sure who’s right or wrong, but we can never stop supporting our troops.’’

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